'Make Conference of Rulers, royal activities public,' veteran journo urges after S'pore media leak

 

Veteran journalist A Kadir Jasin has proposed that details on the activities of the country’s royal figures, including the Conference of Rulers, be made public.

In making the call, Kadir (above) referenced a recent Straits Times report which claimed that Perak ruler Sultan Nazrin Shah had extended an invitation to Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir for the meeting, whose position as the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan is under dispute.

The Negeri Sembilan palace later denied the report, clarifying that Tuanku Muhriz received no such invite and will not be attending the Conference of Rulers, scheduled for Oct 13 to 15, to focus on state affairs.

In a Facebook post today, Kadir acknowledged that Conference of Rulers meetings are typically held in a “low-key” manner, with any news or announcements normally issued in the form of press statements from the keeper of the rulers’ seal.

As such, he said it was “rather strange” that the report by the Straits Times, a publication from Singapore - a country without a monarchy system - managed to “scoop” Malaysian media on news regarding its rulers.

“Our rulers are constitutional monarchs with official duties, status, and remuneration. They are not like the rulers in republics such as Indonesia and India, where there are many rulers but without legitimacy or power.

“Therefore, it is appropriate that the activities of our rulers, such as the Conference of Rulers meetings, are properly shared for public knowledge,” he urged.

He added that official information on the meetings should come from the keeper of the rulers’ seal, who acts as the secretary and chief operating officer of the conference.

The Conference of Rulers is a council established under Article 38 of the Federal Constitution, comprising the nine hereditary rulers, with the governors of Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak joining for certain matters.

Among its key roles, the conference elects the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and his deputy for five-year terms. The council’s consent or consultation is required on specific national policies and appointments, including senior judicial appointments.

The conference typically meets several times a year, with its proceedings held behind closed doors and information on its meetings normally released through brief statements issued by the keeper of the rulers’ seal.

Constitutional crisis

Cautioning that the throne crisis in Negeri Sembilan should not be taken lightly, Kadir also pointed out that the media, particularly the Straits Times, had reported the postponement of the initial Conference of Rulers scheduled for June 23 to 25.

He highlighted that the media had also reported on the lack of an official statement from the Malay rulers on the “last-minute postponement”.

“This led some news outlets to quote sources stating that five senior rulers, including the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, had met several days before the postponement was made.

“The question at the time was whether the constitutional crisis in Negeri Sembilan was so serious that it affected the proceedings of the Conference of Rulers,” he added.

Nonetheless, he praised palaces and royal families for embracing the social media age, noting that such efforts will allow the public to become more familiar with the royal institution.

Negeri Sembilan is embroiled in a constitutional crisis centred around the powers of the state’s four chieftains, also known as undang, to decide who sits on the throne.

A proclamation from the undangs in April led to the dethroning of Tuanku Muhriz and the installation of his cousin, Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar, as the ruler instead, with the undangs who endorsed the matter citing a list of alleged transgressions.

While Tunku Nadzaruddin (above) was later supposedly recognised as the state’s new Yang di-Pertuan Besar during a brief ceremony at a hotel in Alor Gajah, Malacca, the validity of the initial proclamation and the ensuing formalities remain in dispute.

Legal experts previously mooted the establishment of a royal tribunal, formed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Conference of Rulers, to resolve ongoing disputes between Negeri Sembilan’s royal, customary, and state government players. - Mkini