In May, the Sultan of Johor issued a statement, calling for a return of power to the Malay rulers. Royal powers were curtailed during the Mahathir administration, through several constitutional amendments, which were implemented without the assent of the Conference of Rulers. This has brought into question the legitimacy of these amendments.

We take a look at Malaysia’s constitutional monarchy, and discuss what returning royal powers to Malay rulers would mean for the country's democracy.

This is a report by Azlyn Balqis and Lyn Mak.