These eight original questions test the lessons in constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. Write your own answer before opening each one.
Questions
Question 1
Name the institution that gives royal assent to a bill.
Answer
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Royal assent is the formal step that turns a bill passed by Parliament into law, and the Agong has 30 days for it. 1
Question 2
State one role of Parliament and give one reason it matters.
Answer
Parliament (the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara) makes federal laws, so the rules governing the country come from elected representatives.
Question 3
Explain why the judiciary is described as independent of the government.
Answer
The judiciary decides cases by applying the law, not by following the wishes of the government. This matters because people can challenge a government decision in court and expect a fair hearing.
Question 4
Is “passes federal laws” a power or a function? Explain your choice.
Answer
It is a power, because it describes what Parliament is allowed to do. The matching function would be to make sure laws reflect the wishes of elected representatives.
Question 5
Write one sentence that states both a power and a function of the Cabinet.
Answer
The Cabinet decides government policy so that the country is run day to day under the scrutiny of Parliament.
The first half is the power. The second half is the purpose it serves.
Question 6
Read this statement: “The Prime Minister must command majority support in the Dewan Rakyat, and Cabinet members share collective responsibility and answer to Parliament.” Which institutions are shown, and what does the statement suggest about how they relate?
Answer
The Cabinet (the Prime Minister and ministers) and Parliament (the Dewan Rakyat) are shown. The statement suggests the Cabinet answers to Parliament for its policy, so government action is open to scrutiny. 2
Question 7
A student writes: “Power: the judiciary decides cases. Function: the judiciary judges cases.” Find the weakness and fix it.
Answer
The function only repeats the power in different words. Rewrite it with a purpose: the judiciary decides cases so that disputes are settled by applying the law independently.
Question 8
Using the statement “A bill passed by the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara goes to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for royal assent before it becomes law,” explain two roles shown and why the process has more than one step.
Answer
Parliament has the role of passing bills, so elected representatives and senators shape the law. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong gives royal assent, within 30 days, which completes the process and makes the bill law. 1
There is more than one step because lawmaking involves more than one institution, so no single body decides alone. If the Dewan Negara does not pass an ordinary bill, the Dewan Rakyat can pass it again in a later session, not earlier than one year after it was first passed, and it then goes for royal assent.
If you got these wrong
Questions 1 to 3 point back to explaining the roles of major institutions. Questions 4, 5 and 7 need distinguishing powers and functions.
For questions 6 and 8, plan your source use with the evidence-to-explanation planner. Record repeated slips in the mistake log.
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