GOVT HAS NO PLANS TO SET UP CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 (Bernama) -- The government has no plans to set up a
constitutional court or special committee on the Federal Constitution, Minister
in the Prime Minister's Department Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said.

He said the existing laws and regulations are sufficient to deal with all
constitutional issues and all high courts nationwide have jurisdiction to hear
cases regarding such issues.

"Under Article 130 of the Federal Constitution, the Malaysian King can refer
to the Federal Court for its opinion any question as to the effect of any
provision of the constitution which has arisen or appears to him likely to
arise," he said in the Lower House of Parliament Thursday.

He was replying to queries by two Members of Parliament (MPs) with one of
them wanted to know whether the government would set up a constitutional court
similar to those in other countries since many issues touching on the foundation
of the country's constittion have arisen off late while the other wanted to know
whether a committee on the Federal Constitution would be formed.

Nazri said Article 130 of the Federal Constitution also provides that after
the King has referred the issue to the Federal Court, the court "shall pronounce
in open court its opinion on any question so referred to it".

"So with such a provision in the Federal Constitution, the need to create a
constitutional court does not exist," he said.

The same goes to a special committee because, he said, "the constitution is
alive and can be amended from time to time."

"Parliament is the highest forum for us to think of an amendment that needs
to be done. So no need for us to set up a special committee only to look into
what needs to be amended," he said.
-- BERNAMA