The Agong has spoken: hence ends the “Constitutional Crisis”
But the bottom line is, a perceived Constitutional Crisis has been defused, which at the end of the day is what matters. The Raja-Raja Melayu have done their job and have earned their right to exist, and the ball is now at the government’s feet. And how Muhyiddin Yassin kicks the ball into the goal is going to be left to his wisdom. But what is important is there is no murka and no titah. There is only a mutual wish to do what is good for the rakyat and the country. The Raja-Raja Melayu have expressed their desires and aspirations and will leave it to the government to run the country.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Phew…so many people have been contacting me the last couple of hours asking me how to interpret the two letters issued today (SEE BELOW).
But why do we need to “interpret” the two letters? The monarch (or in this case the ten monarchs who sit in the Conference of Rulers) need to speak in “palace language”. When they consent, they say “perkenan”. An order or instruction is “titah”, which is also a decree or royal command. “Murka” is when they are slighted or offended. And so on.
Anwar Ibrahim loves to say “addressing the rakyat’s concerns” or “taking note of the people’s concerns”. This is more or less what Their Majesties and Their Highnesses have done today — taken note of the concerns of the various people who Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong met over the last few days.
In the past, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Umno (plus a number of Umno leaders) have langgar (crashed into) the Raja-Raja Melayu. And some Raja-Raja Melayu as well, who murka with politicians, have openly rebuked them. Today, things are a bit different.
The politicians (on both sides of the political divide) need to be very careful they are not seen as durhaka (act treasonously) with the Raja-Raja Melayu. And the Raja-Raja Melayu, on the other hand, also need to be seen they are not trying to become politicians or are interfering in the administration of the government.
It is a very fine line that involves pulling out a strand of hair from the flour without spilling it, as the Malay proverb goes. Both the government and the monarchy need to be seen as complementing each other and working as a team, and not contradicting each other and working against each other.
The Raja-Raja Melayu need to be seen as concerned about the rakyat’s wishes and sentiments. If not, why would Malaysia need a monarchy that “makan gaji buta”? Might as well Malaysia be turned into a republic. At the same time, the Raja-Raja Melayu cannot be seen as a nuisance or hindrance to democracy because, unfortunately, in the 1980s and 1990s, Dr Mahathir had given the Raja-Raja Melayu a bad name.
This is where if the Raja-Raja Melayu do nothing, they will get whacked, and if they do too much, they will also get whacked. They will have to do the “right amount” — but then what is the right amount?
Well, that depends on who you are. The “right amount” can be too little or too much depending on whether you are pro-government or anti-government. And this is why you see those two statements (BELOW) drafted the way they were drafted. Some say the statements are too weak while some say they are too hard-hitting, depending on who is talking.
But the bottom line is, a perceived Constitutional Crisis has been defused, which at the end of the day is what matters. The Raja-Raja Melayu have done their job and have earned their right to exist, and the ball is now at the government’s feet. And how Muhyiddin Yassin kicks the ball into the goal is going to be left to his wisdom. But what is important is there is no murka and no titah. There is only a mutual wish to do what is good for the rakyat and the country. The Raja-Raja Melayu have expressed their desires and aspirations and will leave it to the government to run the country.
