Federal Territories Umno Youth chief Mohd Razlan Rafii has questioned if Bersatu’s A Kadir Jasin wishes to abolish the royal institution.
He said this today in reference to Kadir’s Facebook post last month on social media reactions to political leaders and the royal institution after the recent election – including the apparent delay in Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s swearing-in ceremony.
“I would like to ask Kadir what he meant when he wrote about the institutional reforms promised by Pakatan Harapan.
“In the context of the recent swearing in of the prime minister, it is not something that happens every day, and needs to be studied in detail to make sure that no one could later question its outcome,” he said in a statement today.
“Surely this would involve approval letters and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong needs to look at all angles before this process proceeds smoothly.
“Therefore, Kadir needs to explain and be more honest in his actions. Does he want to abolish the system of Malay rulers?” Razlan (photo) asked.
When contacted, Kadir declined to comment on Razlan’s insinuations.
“What I’ve written in my blog is sufficient for now. The rest are free to discuss,” he told Malaysiakini.
In his May 27 Facebook post, Kadir said that in today’s “borderless world,” no parties are spared public scrutiny.
“In relation to this, we see the role of the rulers as part of constitutionality.
“Therefore, it is very important and relevant that we study their position and sentiments in context of the institutional reforms promised by the Harapan government,” wrote Kadir, who is also the spokesperson for the Council of Eminent Persons.
Previously, Umno information chief Annuar Musa had urged authorities to investigateKadir for the latter’s column in Sinar Harian, which appeared on the same day as the Facebook post.
He claimed that the article contained elements of sedition.
In response, former information minister Zainuddin Maidin asked Annuar today to cop to the new reality in Malaysia.
“Enough of popularity-seeking with the palace by threatening the people with reckless feudalism.
“This is a new Malaysia, but you still live in Hang Tuah’s era,” he said on Twitter.
In Harapan’s election manifesto, “political and institutional reforms” is listed as one of its five pillars, which includes a promise to “restore the dignity of the Malays and Malay Institutions.”
Among others, the manifesto states that the views and the wisdom of the Malay rulers will be held in “the highest regard.”
Harapan also pledged to encourage academic research on the Malay rulers, and pursue collaborations with royal museums abroad to share ideas about how the monarchy can act as a check-and-balance mechanism in a democracy.
MKINI
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.