Two senior politicians have mocked a deputy minister for proudly highlighting the words "my government" in the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's speech to Parliament when it is a common practice in constitutional monarchies.
"What a powerful speech by Tuanku. 'Kerajaan Beta'. Khalas (Enough said in Arabic)," Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (above) had said in a Facebook post.
Bersatu supreme council A Kadir Jasin pointed out that even Queen Elizabeth of the UK uses the term.
"The nomenclature is used by any constitutional monarch. It cannot be that a senator who proudly studied in England does not understand this or is he trying to confuse people who do not know?
"Don't go overboard in involving the rulers in political competition," he said in a Facebook post without naming Wan Fayhsal, who became a deputy minister after being appointed as a senator.
PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, in a Facebook live session, also weighed into the issue, stating that the rulers have used the term since the country's independence.
"When it was Tunku Abdul Rahman's government, 'kerajaan beta' was used, during Tun Abdul Razak's government, 'kerajaan beta' was used and during Pakatan Harapan's government, 'kerajaan beta' was also used.
"I think the Bersatu youth leader on the other side does not understand this. He thinks that it means a recognition (for Perikatan Nasional) but it is not," he said.
The Pakatan Harapan government collapsed in late February after Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin took the party out of the coalition to join forces with a group of PKR defectors led by Gombak MP Azmin Ali.
Together, they formed the new PN government with BN, PAS, GPS, PBS and Star.
Bersatu had initially wanted its chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad to lead this new coalition as prime minister but after he refused, Muhyiddin was appointed premier.
Wan Fayhsal had initially sided with Mahathir but later backed Muhyiddin.
Mahathir, who intends to bring Bersatu back to Harapan, is now engaged in a power struggle with Muhyiddin.
The 33-year-old Wan Fayhsal had previously courted ridicule after claiming that he was among the youngest cabinet member. Deputy ministers are not part of the cabinet. - Mkini
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