A Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, there lived a respected Ruler who was universally adored by his people. His sense of fairness and equality were the personification of someone who knew the difference between what is right and what is wrong. His non-interference in petty politics sets him apart from the rest of the people and made him a modern day legend that everybody loved and treasured.

Then came a black day where he made his first error in judgment. The populace wanted a corruption-free government and his royal support was solicited to augment this righteous undertaking. Alas, the wisdom that was the epitome of his rule failed to assert itself when his counselors advised otherwise. It was deemed un-regal to be personally involved in the problems of the peasants. What these royal counselors failed to grasp and ultimately to convey to this Ruler was that these so called peasants look up in reverence to His Majesty as a leader of people, and such leaders are expected to lead from the front. Strike One.

The populace was henceforth mortified that this leader failed to do what is morally correct but their love for this monarch overcame all and this episode was quickly forgotten. Mistakes are part of life and the respected Ruler is a man after all. When royal assent is unobtainable, there is always the Word of Law to guide them.

It therefore came as a surprise when it was publicly made known that this virtuous Ruler contemplated actually going against his subjects’ wishes to place the opposition party as the state government by deferring the election of its leader. The reasoning behind this drastic action was that His Majesty was questioning the survivability factor of this victorious coalition party but after a week of indecision, it was proclaimed that the Word of Law be adhered to and the selection of this leader be from the minority coalition party member because the State Constitution cannot allow another person of a non-Malay origin to be the coalition leader, regardless of whether the populace voted otherwise. That is the Word of Law as specified in the State Constitution and that is how it is going to be despite the fact that the monarch possesses the supreme authority to bypass it. Strike One, Ball One (it would have been Strike Two if His Majesty disregarded the consensus and disallowed the winning political party from forming the State Government).

Ten months after the Political Tsunami, this Ruler was once again called upon to sanction a decision made by the legal State Government. This was owing to the fact that two members of this government have been arrested on charges of corruption and have tendered in their resignation letters. The precarious balance of power within the state is therefore threatened and it would have to seek a new mandate from its populace before continuing as the State Government. The Word of Law permits the dissolution of this government but permission to endorse another state election must be obtained from this Ruler.

Instead of allowing it, this Ruler requested the resignation letter from this coalition leader. The Word of Law is suddenly not applicable here anymore. Adherence to the State Constitution is no longer a mandatory legal requirement. When unable to obtain this very letter of resignation, the leader of this government was dismissed and the Palace went about its merry ways in preparation to nominate a new state leader from the losing political party. The resignation letters from the two allegedly corrupt lawmakers are no longer valid and the populace suddenly sees frogs everywhere. What was ultra quick was that the State Secretary ordered his hatchet men to cordon off the State Secretariat Building and to evict the legal government from its premises. Even the “For-Rough-Use” (FRU) gentlemen got into the act by spraying tear gas all around. What will these people think of next? Fragmentation Grenades? Main Battle Tanks? Strike Two, Ball One.

What will be the next ball be? Third Strike or Second Ball? Regardless of what it is going to be, the wisdom from the Palace is suddenly found lacking. The arbitrary decision to disregard the Word of Law is but yet another nail hammered into the coffin. Until the correct verdict in accordance to the Law is strictly adhered to, the Palace will start losing the respect of its people.

The End.

– Hakim Joe

The author would like to inform its readers that any resemblance of its story characters to anyone dead or alive is purely unintentional.