Respect for monarchy falls on how it responds to our crises

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When the news broke out that Amanah Youth had submitted a memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, urging the ruler to instruct Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to resign over the 1MDB issue, I was surprised that it attracted over 5,800 shares on Facebook.

It clearly shows two things. One of it, at least among Malaysiakini readers, is that Amanah is preferred compared with the Islamist party PAS. In the past, cooperation between Pakatan Rakyat and PAS was because of the faces of the progressives within PAS.

Names like Mohamad Sabu, Khalid Samad and Mujahid Yusof Rawa will still bring a cheer to many Pakatan supporters, including the Chinese and the Indians, whenever they appear on stage.

These were the former PAS faces, and they are now all in the new splinter party, Amanah, which has become a component party within the Pakatan Harapan coalition. The step taken by Amanah Youth clearly shows that they still have very strong support from the people.

To achieve 5,800 shares of one article is quite unusual. Even some of the best shared articles have only hit 2,500 shares at the highest.

The ball is in the monarchy’s court

Now, the ball is in the monarchy’s court. When the Conference of Malay Rulers decreed a year ago, urging the investigation into 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) to be given urgent attention, it too attracted a lot of public support.

The hopes were raised, but till now, there is no follow up action, even though the people are waiting to see what happens. We know that RM2.6 billion that flowed into Najib’s private accounts was never a donation from a generous Arab prince. It was a blatant lie, which now has been confirmed by the documentary evidence produced by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ).

Over a year has lapsed and still no one has been prosecuted, despite the fact that we all know - and the whole world can guess - who Malaysian Official No 1 (MO1) is. Only an idiot does not know who he is.

It would be a big shame to Malaysia, if our system is unable to deal with the crimes committed by MO1 that allow the DOJ to pursue the civil suit to seize the properties purchased using laundered money.

Why should a foreign nation pursue criminal procedures against the MO1? Is it not enough that our attorney-general has cleared Najib’s name, and despite this, the DOJ from a foreign country is able to nail him down as MO1?

This is apparently what Umno supreme council member, Bung Moktar Radin (photo) is telling us - the issue of MO1 was never discussed because no one knew who he was! Bung must therefore consider himself an idiot to make such a boisterous statement before the whole wide world.

The onus is now on the monarchy to restore the country back to the original intents of the 1957 Federal Constitution, which was crafted by the founding fathers of this nation. The Citizens’ Declaration has been signed by more than a million citizens, who are now awaiting s response from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

The Conference of Malay Rulers cannot continue to live their lives in the palace, sheltered from the rakyat who are burdened with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and all sorts of “crazy” price hikes, including the latest being parking fees in the Federal Territories.

They must use the powers that have been invested in the institution of monarchy to put the country on the right path again, instead of allowing the nation to go to the dogs.

A good example is the passing of the National Security Council Bill (NSC 2016), which clearly bypasses the authority and jurisdiction of the Agong, who alone is the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces.

Loyalty, as we all know it, should be to the Agong, not any member of the executive or the chairperson of the National Security Council. The National Principles spell this out clearly: “Loyalty to the Agong.”

Constitutional expert Aziz Bari agrees with me that, should an army general choose to follow the instructions issued by the prime minister and chairperson of the NSC, he could be charged with treason when the rule of law eventually prevails. The punishment for treason is death.

In short, Aziz (photo) is saying that whatever action that one takes today will not shield him from prosecution in the future, when the rule of law prevails.

No one can promise that a prime minister, even a dictator, will remain forever and I am sure Najib would not want to end up as another Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein or Pol Pot.

As mentioned in my previous article, from the day when 1MDB’s scandal was published worldwide, the movie directors have been paying attention to this scandal that will make a major blockbuster soon. They are only waiting to see how it all ends up.

The role of the Conference of Rulers will also become one of the major episodes in the movie blockbuster. Will the rulers now take on the urging of the Amanah Youth to step up pressure for Najib to step down, or will they continue to remain silent?

Whatever actions that they now take must be for the good of the country, its people and its future. Whether we will travel the path to become another rogue nation, or we will stride ahead into 2020 as a developed nation, albeit just three-and-a-half years from now, depends on their action.

As rakyat loyal to the monarchy, we are awaiting the Agong to do what he needs to do to ensure that both justice and the people’s welfare are being upheld at all times.

For all these years, the churches in this country have been upholding the Agong and the prime minister before the One True God. The Agong’s throne is shared among the nine sultans; therefore, the office of the prime minister can be vacated, and filled by another more qualified person, who would uphold justice and righteousness.

Actions will preserve relevance of the monarchy

During times of crisis, the question is how the Conference of Rulers can preserve the relevance of the institution of constitutional monarchy in the country.

If they can rise to the occasion, I believe the institution of the monarchy will be respected by the rakyat for many generations to come.

Imagine how the blockbuster movie will take on a different direction, if only the Agong now decides to weigh in on Najib’s fate.

The Conference of Malay Rulers, therefore, cannot continue to do nothing when their institution is being threatened by the very people who are supposed to be safeguarding the sanctity of the institution.

They have to respond to the crisis. The country has been shamed by the 1MDB scandal and several key people who have been involved in the scandal. It is therefore untenable for the Malaysian Official No 1 to remain in his office after the extent of the scandal has become so crystal clear in the minds of millions of people across the world.

Malaysians have the DOJ to be grateful to, for doing what we ourselves failed to do through our beleaguered institutions.

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STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008.