Kuala Lampur, July 26 -- A written constitution like the Federal Constitution gathers unto itself various sources of law, some of which are implicit. These are unwritten sources in the form of conventions, prerogatives, discretionary and residual powers.

One can therefore look beyond the written law to help ensure the continuation of constitutionalism and the rule of law. (see Zainun Ali JCA (as she then was) in Dato' Dr Zambry bin Abd Kadir v Dato' Seri Ir Hj Mohammad Nizar bin Jamaluddin (Attorney General of Malaysia, intervener) [2009] 5 MLJ 464)

The first of the unwritten sources - that is, convention - is a well established source.

In the Zambry v Nizar case, the established convention on loss of confidence was acknowledged by Rau...