Tuesday July 22, 2008

Rulers have special roles

By SHAHANAAZ HABIB

KUALA LUMPUR: Malay Rulers are not just decorative symbolic monuments who are merely there to carry out ceremonial duties. Instead, they have special and relevant roles in society.

Raja Muda Perak Dr Raja Nazrin Shah said the Rulers' views should not be taken lightly as they could influence and determine a country's direction.

“Rulers are not people who are blind, deaf or mute. Everything that happens is within their range of vision, hearing or speech.

Tithe contribution: Raja Nazrin (right) receiving business tithe payment worth RM3.78mil from Tenaga Nasional Bhd corporate affairs senior vice-president, Datuk Abdul Razak Abdul Majid, at a ceremony in Istana Perak. — Bernama

“In today’s era of information where communication transcends borders, the lifestyle of Rulers and royalty, too, are no longer confined within palace walls,” he said in the Premier Talk on The Monarchy Institution at Intan yesterday.

Raja Nazrin Shah said the constitutional monarch system involved a sharing of power between the Rulers and the people and the Rulers were often the “source of reference” whenever there was a crisis among the rakyat.

He said Rulers should ensure there was a fair check and balance mechanism among the executive, legislative and judiciary, which in turn would strengthen other democratic institutions in the country.

“Rulers have a wider responsibility to ensure that the spirit of the constitution, the philosophy behind every law and the bigger interest of the country and its people are always understood and protected,” he said.

Raja Nazrin Shah said when the advice given to the Rulers contradicted the spirit of the constitution, sanctity of the law and the basic principle of justice, the Rulers should not feel pressured to give their assent.

“Rulers cannot take the side of an action, which reflects injustice or agree to an action that does not reflect the truth,” he said, adding that nations and monarchies had fallen when administrations had been weak and corrupt.

“So, it is the responsibility of the Rulers to keep watch and have the strength to criticise the administrators so that they administer responsibly, sincerely, with trustworthiness and commitment to ensure stability and prosperity of the country and its people,” he added.

He said the March 8 election results brought greater responsibility for the Rulers in Perlis, Terengganu, Selangor and Perak.

In Perlis, he said, the Ruler chose not to agree to Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim as Mentri Besar because the former MB did not have the support of the majority of the other Barisan Nasional assemblymen in the state, while in Terengganu, the Regency Advisory Council refused to budge from its choice of Mentri Besar.

In Selangor, when PKR, DAP and PAS came together to form the state government, Raja Nazrin said, the Sultan had to make sure the Mentri Besar would be accepted by all three parties; while in Perak, the DAP, PKR and PAS winning coalition had to convince the Ruler that they could work together by choosing a Mentri Besar the palace could approve.

In the case of Perak, where the new Mentri Besar changed the state religious director without getting the Ruler's assent first, he contradicted the principle of basic justice because the director had not done any wrong and was not given an opportunity to defend himself.

“That is why the state government was asked to withdraw it,” he said, adding that in each of these crisis, although there were tense moments, good reason and maturity prevailed with one side willing to give in, and harmony was restored.