YOURSAY | Don't listen to Dr M on dealing with rulers

 

YOURSAY | ‘Mahathir’s remarks invite an unpleasant situation between the executive and royalty.’

PM: Johor sultan’s views won’t influence constitutional monarchy principle

Mazhilamani: Don’t listen to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, for his remarks are intended with the hope of inviting an unpleasant situation between the executive and royalty.

I am very sure Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim can settle this amicably with Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.

One thing that has to be taken note of is that Sultan Ibrahim (above), our next Yang di-Pertuan Agong, is a learned person, trained army officer, entrepreneur, and surrounded by loyal and wise advisors.

He may want to have his say or be informed on matters affecting the people and country.

Such delicate matters are reserved for a select few, when others may not be up to handling national matters.

Anyway, leave it to the prime minister to handle such matters with the new Agong.

Man on the Silver Mountain: Communication culture - nuance, wayang kulit, sindiran, pantun (shadow play, satire, poetry) - all that to save face. Fine.

We must be knowledgeable about how people communicate.

Today, sincerity and clarity of message is simply an effective and practical way of communicating one’s thoughts and message.

This has become universally used and accepted. We have to change, develop, and be able to stand the heat when required, otherwise, we would not be able to make it on the world stage.

Diplomacy by itself is a field of study, which can be applied in appropriate situations. Just want to be clear about that.

In a competitive world, there is no place for wimps and the fragile-hearted.

PMB: Well, let’s see if the prime minister will be able to advise the Johor sultan and next Agong to operate within the role specified in the Federal Constitution or cave in.

If the MACC and Petronas come under the king, that would undermine parliamentary democracy where the government should be accountable to the people who elected them.

The sultan wants the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project revived and Anwar is making it possible through a government-initiated privately-funded initiative.

The 100 percent foreign ownership given to Elon Musk’s Starlink company for local distribution was queried in Parliament but Anwar and no other minister bothered to explain.

So the big question is that Anwar talks but will he act according to the Constitution?

He is very buddy with the Johor sultan, so much so that the ruler said Anwar calls him at night to get his advice.

Does King Charles of the UK, which is the model of the constitutional monarchy-parliamentary democracy form of government, and who is said to be close to UK PM Rishi Sunak, call his friend in the middle of the night for advice?

Or do they understand the principle of separation of powers?

To ensure separation of powers, their interactions have to be limited to what the Constitution states.

In all matters of government which is the sole prerogative of the PM and his/her cabinet, any comments from the king could be seen as interfering with the administration of the government and therefore unconstitutional.

If Anwar could advise the king and rulers to act according to the Constitution, he would finally be demonstrating leadership as a PM who will uphold parliamentary democracy which is his overriding duty.

Kajang Ada Aircon and Starbucks: His Majesty’s views must not be taken lightly and must be studied and implemented in a practical manner that safeguards the interests of present and future generations.

There is another key required to protect the national reserves for which Petronas is a significant contributor.

The PM’s office and politicians cannot use oil revenue, reserves, and profits as a tool to prop themselves up in power and use it for their selfish machinations.

They have largely been found to be corrupt and untrustworthy.

Where have years of oil income gone when our schools are in disrepair and our police officers are earning a pittance?

On the MACC, was no royal help sought when a PM was then suspected of malfeasance?

The palace could not do anything and the AG was ‘retired’ when he was investigating the matter.

No doubt Parliament is supreme but it could do nothing. There must be a crucial role for the royalty to play as Malaysia is a kleptocracy and the cancer of corruption is public enemy number one.

Politicians have lost the trust of the public.

If not, there will be more discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) and no further action (NFA), where trials and investigations happen at great public expense but nothing ever happens in terms of convictions.

Where will there be a breach of the Constitution if there is a mutual agreement between PMX and His Majesty to allow this arrangement to be agreed upon?

There is no force or demand made here, but just a mutual arrangement to work for the benefit of the nation.

It is easy to talk about the Constitution from a layman’s view, but it is a different ball game when you are sitting in the chair of authority.

So let us allow PMX and His Majesty to work out an amicable solution, without trampling the rights of His Majesty or the nation enshrined in the Constitution.

BlueShark1548: The sultan’s status in the Constitution is clear and, when necessary, the courts could guide the nation.

The PM meets the sultans at the Rulers’ Conference and special meetings requested by them.

So sultans have a special channel to talk and give their views to the PM.

It does not appear appropriate that any sultan should express their views strongly in the open on any issue that he could discuss with the PM through those special channels.

The sultans, PM, and MPs, as well as the rakyat, have a duty to protect and uphold our Constitution which has held our nation together since 1957.

And the government should not tweak the Constitution unless necessary. - Mkini