Who’s afraid of the rakyat?

Lessons from Perak

If this is a democracy, shouldn't people be ruled by their choices during an election rather than by the fickle-mindedness of elected representatives?

By Jacqueline Ann Surin, The Nut Graph

ONE of the most lucid things I've read above the din of the political fiasco in Perak is Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat's statement about respecting Sultan Azlan Shah's decision.

Following the Perak Ruler's decision, the PAS spiritual leader and Kelantan Menteri Besar, who is himself of royal lineage, said, "I don't question the decision of the Sultan of Perak in not consenting to the dissolution of the state assembly as it is the Sultan's right."

However, Nik Aziz said what needed to be reviewed and questioned was what led to the Sultan's decision. Nik Aziz was ostensibly referring to how it came about that Pakatan Rakyat assemblypersons deserted their parties, adding: "There must be something that's not right, and planned by certain quarters."

Perhaps Nik Aziz's statement calls on the DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) to be self-analytical on the fall of the Perak Pakatan Rakyat government. But I believe his statement calls us to ask one other thing: What led to the Sultan's decision? In other words, how did our respected former Supreme Court Lord President arrive at the decision he did?

Right yet wrong

I am no constitutional lawyer. But I understand from the experts that the Sultan was constitutionally right in not acceding to Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin's request to dissolve the state assembly.

In fact, the country's best legal minds think it will be hard to challenge the Ruler's decision in court. From what I hear, even lawyers within Pakatan Rakyat know that it will be a tough challenge although there are, of course, opposing views.

Still, while the Sultan may have been constitutionally right in the decision he made, he would also have been constitutionally right in testing Nizar's popularity through ordering a vote in the state assembly. Or he could test the popularity of either the Pakatan Rakyat or the Barisan Nasional (BN) by dissolving the state assembly so that snap polls can be held.

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