Nazri's selective amnesia and Umno's back-room plots

Mariam Mokhtar, Malaysia Chronicle

Mohamed Nazri Aziz, the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department revels in taking pot-shots at PKR leaders. He dismissed their “ketuanan rakyat” which he believes does not grant the people full power to decide their government leaders.

He said that Malay Rulers reigned supreme in Malaysia’s constitutional monarchy system: “A lot of people think that when there are elections, it means that it is all about ‘ketuanan rakyat’ (people supremacy) and the Rulers have no say at all.”

“I want to tell them that they are wrong. In this country, it is a kind of hybrid system. Even though it is a constitutional monarchy, the Rulers also have their own say and power”

In his argument against “ketuanan rakyat”, Nazri referred to the problems in Perak. He said that following the results of Election 2008, Sultan Azlan Shah played a pivotal role in selecting the PR candidate for the post of mentri besar.

“In Perak, DAP had 17 state assemblymen so why is it that they could not put up one of their own to be the mentri besar? Why did they have to use Nizar from PAS?

Nazri may be suffering from ‘selective amnesia’. The Perak State Constitution clearly states that the MB of Perak must be a Muslim.

He then talked about events in 2009, during the Perak debacle when the Sultan of Perak refused several attempts by the fallen former Pakatan Rakyat state government to dissolve the state assembly to pave the way for snap polls following several defections.

The Sultan may have the final say, but Nazri seems to have ignored the significance of the power of the rakyat. Moreover, he assumes that “ketuanan rakyat” means disrespect to royalty.

It is disingenuous and disrespectful of Nazri to drag the royals into this argument.

He might want to recall events during the constitutional crisis of the 80s when Mahathir launched an unprecedented assault on the rulers and amended portions of the Constitution to curb their royal powers.

Did any of the Umno ministers come to the defence of the rulers? Did he?

Nazri and his pals in Umno-BN should stop kidding themselves. When it suits them, the rulers are used in a game of political football to bash the opposition. In addition, the rakyat is kept under control and told that they risk arrest for sedition, for raking up sensitive issues, for threats to national security.

On the contrary, the rakyat should be given some credit for wanting a competent and honorable government. Not a manipulative and conniving one.

Nazri might want to reflect on this. The issue of royalty is secondary to the needs of the rakyat.

The rakyat demands a government that deals properly with corruption, injustice, religious absurdities, racial inequality, insubordination of women, police brutality and farcical trials. It is to the advantage of all, including and especially the rulers, to have a stable country and clean government.