Discussion ; The power of the King

Malaysia, our country today is among the most unique country in the world. In term of power sharing, we are consist of 4 branches of Government - Executives, Legislative, Judiciary and Monarchy. So what are these branches do? In easy word, Executives is the administrator (Prime Minister and his cabinet), Legislative is the one who makes law, Judiciary is the one who enforces the law. The monarchy on the other hand, approve the law.

Technically that is the unique traits of Malaysia's power sharing. Each had been design to have check and balance in the government. Nevertheless, this unique traits have been protected by generation of Prime Ministers, until the time of Tun Mahathir Mohamad as the Prime Minister that is. The Tun Mahathir at the time not only removed the power of Parliament, but at several extend changing the Judiciary as well. Even how the Malaysian hate Tun Mahathir, something that they can agree on is many of them actually praise Tun Mahathir for removing the powers of the monarch. Nevertheless, that is the same action that has resulted the problems that we faces today.

Even when the the power of the Parliament and the Judiciary was removed at the time, the people still does not hate the Kings enough to let Tun Mahathir removed the power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong 30 years ago. This gave the King and the Prime Minister a good check and balance because the King still has the authority of not signing the laws which he considered un-democratic, and that is a good thing. Because it prevented Malaysia to become dictatorship, because the Prime Minister need to have the consent of the King to do anything, or to pass any laws.

Nevertheless, the Tun Mahathir need to back down as his first attempt to remove the power of the monarchy failed.

The attack on Rulers

In the Tun Mahathir first attempt, not only the people are objecting the idea reducing the power of Monarchy, several prominent UMNO members were also against the idea. Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Ku Li was opposed with Tun Mahathir at the time, and even went all over Malaysia to campaign against it. Personally he is related to His Royal Highness Raja Perempuan Anis of Kelantan. When Tun Mahathir realized that not all faction of UMNO supported him, the one who opposed him was left out when UMNO was re-registered as UMNO (Baru) and were forced to formed Semangat-46 in the end.

As clever as he may be, Tun Mahathir does not back down with the idea, but instead launch a consecutive personal attack to the monarchies by his fellow apprentices, his deputies. His deputies, the late Tun Ghafar Baba and Anwar Ibrahim are both hailed from Melaka and Pulau Pinang respectively. Thus, lacking the spirit of 'unreserved loyalty to the King' like many of the Malay in other states has. So, what does they do?

They have created a consecutive coverage of the royals ill-doing or abused of power in the government controlled mainstream media. Some of these stories were true. Regarding the Sultan of Johor (the murder issues) or the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan (selling of awards and titles) and so on. But there were also lies.

1. Anwar accused His Royal Highness the Sultan of Kelantan of smuggling. Among others were also allegation of the tax on the car (Sultan's Lamborghini) had not been paid. Anwar said the Conference of Rulers approves only a certain number of tax-free cars for the Rulers and that the Sultan of Kelantan had exceeded his quota.
   This is downright lies because it is not the Conference of Rulers but Kelantan UMNO State's Government that approves the number of tax-free cars for the Sultan of Kelantan. And the Sultan had not exceeded his quota of tax-free cars.
2. The media then covers the footage of a Chinese towkay's mansion in Penang and said that the house was a house built by the Raja Muda of Selangor (now Sultan) using taxpayers money. The same footage also showed a Kedah House along Northam Road in Penang and said that this was a mansion owned by the Sultan of Kedah, and also built with the taxpayers money.
   The so-called mansion is an old colonial and rundown house owned by the UMNO Kedah State Government for the use of Kedah Civil Servants who visit Penang on business and is not owned by the Sultan at all.
3. Then, the media showed a 'revelation' of a person called 'Tengku Wong' in Pahang, who was alleged to be the business partner of His Royal Highness the Sultan of Pahang, was ripping off the State's of millions in timberland. Nevertheless, this so called 'Tengku Wong' were the Menteri Besar's (Tun Mohd Khalil bin Yaakob) business partner who was a strong supporter of Anwar.

And the list went on and on until the people could no longer take it and there was much hatred against all Rulers all over the country. And that is the time when he launched a second successful attempt to amend the law so that any laws pass will become laws in 60 days even without the approval of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

The aftermath

People until today went on and on stating that Tun Mahathir was good for 'controlling' the monarchy. But looking at the current circumstances, which branch of Government that need to be control? Who is the one who has the power to increased the payment of GST, toll prices and etc nowadays? And all of us say, Tun Mahathir was brilliant to reduce the power of the monarch? Yes, very not wise. Returning back to the topic, what is the result that exactly we gain by reducing the power of the Monarch?

We have lost the only power that can denied the Prime Minister. When British left this country, it has gives us a very good system of power sharing and check and balance system between the government branches. But that all change in 1980s when the Prime Minister gain control of all government branches. In my opinion, the royal authority should be restored. Because, this is the only power that can denied any ruled that is un-constitutional and un-democratic.

Reference :-
Malaysia Today - The Myth of the Constitutional Monarchy

Opening ceremony of Friendship Bridge Malaysia - Brunei

The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak and His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah officially opened a bridge at the Malaysia - Brunei border to facilitate travel between the two countries. The Prime Minister and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei signed a plaque and cut a ribbon in a symbolic gestures to open the Friendship Bridge (Jambatan Persahabatan) that goes across the Padaruan River and connects the Limbang Division in Sarawak to the Temburong District in Brunei Darussalam.

The bridge which is 189 meters long and 14 meters wide was built at a cost of RM20.8 million. The project was handled through negotiations of the Joint Project Team (JPT) and Bridge Management Committee (BMC) with the JPT meetings eight times and the BMC, thrice, in Kuala Lumpur and Bandar Seri Begawan. The launch of the project at the site was held on Sept 13, 2011 and construction work began in May last year. The bridge was completed last month.

The opening ceremony reflected the close bond between Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam. The Chief Minister of Sarawak, Pehin Seri Abdul Taib Mahmud; the Chief Minister of Sabah, Datuk Seri Musa Aman; Federal Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Anifah Aman; Federal Works Minister, Datuk Fadillah Yusof; and Home Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi were also present in the opening ceremony which was held on the bridge.  

Royal News Round-up December 2013 I ; Flood in Eastern Coast of Malaya

The monsoon season had hit Malaysia once again, the federation region in Sabah, Sarawak and the Malayan States on the eastern coast of Malaya were hard hit by the torrential rain that had poured down for several days. One of the State that first experience the fury of the North East monsoon wind were the State of Pahang. Several districts including Rompin, Pekan and even the State capital Kuantan were devastated by flood. The flood had become so severed that the Malaya electrical energy main supplier, the TNB need to isolate and shut down the electrical energy in the State's capital after the main Switch yard in Kuantan were also flooded, leaving the city in darkness. It became worst when the main reservoir in the upper river that flow to the city also had released its excess water when the dam can no longer with hold the increasing volume of water in it. It is the State's worst flood in 40 years.

TNB's Kuantan Main Switchyard which affected by flood.

Many people in Kuantan and several parts of Pahang need to be evacuate to the nearest evacuation camp, even though when the flood get worse, they need to be removed again and again to other evacuation camp. After Pahang, the flood started to hit in Johor, Terengganu and Kelantan.

When the people affected by the worsening rain and floods, it is a rare privileged to witness members of the State's revered royal family also taking parts to help the evacuees in the camp as part of their social contribution to the society. Among other were a rare privileged to witness Her Royal Highness the Tengku Puan Paduka Putri (Crown Princess) of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah helping to prepare and serves food for the evacuees in evacuation camp.

HRH the Tengku Puan of Pahang personally attended the evacuees needs by preparing food for them.

It has long be known, the daughter of the late Sultan Iskandar al-Haj of Johor have a soft spot especially in term of her relation with the people of Pahang.