WAKE UP MAHATHIR, LOOK AT HOW AZMIN CAMP IS ‘MISUSING’ ROYAL TIES TO GET THEIR WAY – IMAGINE IF ANWAR CAMP HAD SUCCEEDED AGAINST YOU ON THE NIGHT YOU WERE SWORN IN, SO DON’T ALLOW DOUBLE STANDARDS: ROYAL POLITICAL INTERVENTION UNDERMINES CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY

The controversy surrounding the appointment of the new Menteri Besar of Selangor serves a good lesson to all, if we want the current constitutional monarchy modelled after Westminster to continue to provide harmonious rule for the country.

The Selangor Palace refuted Selangor state assemblyman Idris Ahmad’s claim that the Sultan had over-ridden ruling Pakatan Harapan’s recommendation for Idris to be appointed the new Mentri Besar and appointed another assemblyman Amiruddin Shari instead.

The royal statement dated June 20 stated that the Sultan had merely chosen Amirudin to be the MB, out of the three names submitted by PKR president Wan Azzizah in her letter to the Sultan dated June 7, and hence the question of political interference to substitute Idris with another did not arise.

The Sultan is right regarding Wan Azizah’s letter dated June 7, but that was not whole truth.

ROYAL INTERVENTION DERAILED PEOPLE’S CHOICE

The truth is that Wan Azizah and leaders of the other three component parties of the ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition had earlier submitted their unanimous recommendation for Idris to be appointed the new Mentri Besar.  Wan Azizah’s letter dated 7 came about only after the Sultan had requested that three names be submitted to him for him to decide on the new MB .

Did the Sultan act correctly in not appointing Idris and asked instead for three names for him to choose from?

The Sultan is of course right in stating that under the state constitution he has the discretion to appoint the MB. However, while the constitution grants the Sultan such prerogative, it has also qualified that the Sultan’s choice must be someone “who in his judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of members of the state assembly”.

Now, Pakatan Harapan commands more than two third majority in the state assembly, and it had chosen Idris. Isn’t it obvious that Idris was the one who could superbly command the support of the majority? Does the Sultan really had any choice other than to appoint Idris under such circumstances?

The Sultan must understand that his discretion in appointing MB only comes into play when the election results do not yield any clear-cut majority, whereupon, the Sultan would have to judge the best he can to pick the one he considers most likely to command the support of the majority.  But this is clearly not the case now.

Looking from this perspective, the Sultan’s decline to appoint Idris and his request for three names had actually derailed the people’s original wish as represented by the choice of the ruling coalition. And this constitutes undue political interference, which contravenes the letters and spirit of the constitution.

RULER AND EXECUTIVE EQUALLY RESPONSIBLE

Equally to be blamed is the ruling coalition which should have declined the Sultan’s request for alternative choice, and respectfully pointed out the correct interpretation of the constitution.

Unfortunately, this is not the only incident.  There has been a spate of similar undue political intervention post GE 14, which had obfuscated the true intent and spirit of our constitution (Federal and State) with regards to the true roles and division of power between the Ruler and the Executive, as laid out in the respective constitution upon which our constitutional monarchy is founded upon.

It takes two hands to clap. Both the Rulers and the Execute (which represents the people) must make their best effort to make the system work. To do that, the Executive must promptly decline the Ruler’s extra-constitutional request such as in this instance, as and when it crops up. And vice-versa, the Ruler must also intervene within the limited power granted him under the constitution, should the Executive commits gross violation of the constitution.

The alternative to that is gradual erosion of the system, as it appears to be happening now, which will inevitably result in drastic change of the entire system, but not before such adulterated system in the interim has inflicted prolong damage to the country and the people.

WRITER: KIM QUEK