The Kelantan prince also warned that the situation in the state was critical as similar disputes over the throne could happen to royal families in other states as well.
“It appears that way,” said the Gua Musang MP when asked whether Kelantan has two rulers during a press conference today. “The public is confused. Even I am confused.”
The politician popularly known as Ku Li also said he considered Sultan Ismail Petra as the rightful ruler and not his son and former regent, Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra Tengku Ismail Petra, who was crowned as Sultan Muhammad V in September.
“I consider Sultan Ismail as the Sultan,” said Ku Li. “He’s still alive. He still lives in the Mahkota palace.”
Ku Li’s press conference comes after Sultan Muhammad V stripped him of two state awards last week. The Kelantan prince is a granduncle to the new ruler.
Ku Li said that he considered the withdrawal of the awards as unimportant and was more concerned about the implications of the royal dispute and alleged that Sultan Ismail Petra had been “disposed of”.
“I feel that there will be chaos as the king can be disposed of easily by the regent, which has king-like powers, so he disposes of the king even though the king is his father,” he claimed. “This is an unprecedented situation. If the king can be disposed of, what about the people?”
The Umno leader also distributed a document to the media, purportedly a proclamation from Sultan Ismail Petra dated November 27 saying that he is still the rightful ruler according to the Federal Constitution.
“I am the Sultan and Sovereign Ruler for Kelantan Darul Naim,” said Sultan Ismail Petra in the proclamation. “This is my right according to the constitution and agreements that were reached between the British government under the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1948 and under the Independence of Malaya Agreement 1957 and under the Federal Constitution.”
Ku Li added that he was worried about what will happen when the Kelantan Sultan becomes the next Yang diPertuan Agong in about six years, after the Sultans of Terengganu and Kedah, if the dispute has not been resolved by then.
“I feel Umno should act to resolve the Kelantan palace conflict,” he said. “I also feel the state and federal governments should also act as the King’s position is safeguarded under the constitution.”
Tengku Razaleigh said that there were only three ways under the state constitution that a regent could succeed the king which is that the king dies, abdicates the throne or is absent from the state for more than 12 months without reasons acceptable to the Council of Succession.
Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat pledged loyalty to the new ruler on September 13 after a royal proclamation on succession in the Kelantan constitution. Both recently went for the hajj. - Malaysian Insider
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