Mayday in Perak Part 3: Will the Sultan have the final say?
“The role of the constitutional monarchy goes beyond what is stipulated in the Constitution. The rulers have a far wider responsibility in ensuring that the spirit of the Constitution, the philosophy behind the written law, and the interest of the country and the people are safeguarded at all times.”
by BOB TEOH, mysinchew
WHEN THE controversial Perak State Legislative Assembly finally convenes its new session tomorrow (7 May), will the Sultan of Perak have the final say on how his state is to be governed under his rule.
Although initially there were contentions whether the notice for the session was valid, all that is moot point now as the order of the opening session has been issued by the Assembly secretary to the press with the Sultan himself gracing the occasion accompanied by a full fanfare from the Royal Malaysian Police band and insepction of the guard of honour by HRH himself. With all this pomp and protocol in place, no one in his right mind would try to throw a spanner into the works tomorrow.
Just to make sure nothing go amiss, the Police has warned the public not to gather near the Assembly building and all roads leading to it will be closed from tonight.
When the coalition of NGOs for free and fair elections –Bersih – held a press conference yesterday (5 May) to urge the public to wear black tomorrow as a protest, its spokeman was quickly arrested and theatened with charges for sedition.
It’s an irony the authorities would go to such length to keep the public away from legislative assembly deliberations, the very cornerstone of a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy.
Foremost on the agenda is the move to sack the Speaker who is from the Pakatan Rakyat coalition by the newly appointed Mentri Besar from Barisan Nasional. But his very own legitimacy of office is questioned by the ousted Mentri Besar at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur. The three-day hearing ends today (6 May).
What is most intriguing is that the MB to replace the Speaker with someone who is not even a lawmaker.
True to his vintage form, Dr Mahathir Mohamad this morning (6 May) said the Sultan has no power to remove the MB as he can only be removed by a vote of no-confidence in the legislative assembly. However, Mahathir was quick to add that the situation in Perak was different without further elaboration. He also declined to comment whether the current Perak MB’s appointment was legitimate.
He would only say, “As far as I know, the federal constitution states very clearly that a monarch cannot remove a prime minister.”
"He can refuse to appoint a prime minister, but once appointed you cannot remove him until there's a vote of no-confidence made against him," he said after delivering a keynote address on the separation of powers in Putrajaya Wednesday (6 May).
Meanwhile, the Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh is reported to have suggested that since the political situation in Perak has reached a stage where it may be time to go back to the people through fresh elections.
All eyes are on two persons tomorrow, the Speaker and the Sultan. Can the Speaker keep the Barisan MB and six of his men out of the august chambers on the basis they are still under suspension? Who will he say is the legitimate MB bearing in mind that it was just weeks ago that the Speaker had called the Assembly into session under a rain tree where the assembled lawmakers passed a motion to confirm that the Pakatan MB as the legitimate office holder? Will he disallow the MB from tabling the motion to remove him from his all-powerful Speaker’s position?
What will the Sultan say? He has already said plenty just two or three weeks ago at the investiture ceremony on his 81st birthday.
He said rulers are above politics and as such they cannot participate in open debate to answer allegations hurled against them by political groups.
He said that the action of certain political groups in provoking the people and sowing seeds of hatred against the rulers was akin to fanning "embers in the chaff."
“The role of the constitutional monarchy goes beyond what is stipulated in the Constitution. The rulers have a far wider responsibility in ensuring that the spirit of the Constitution, the philosophy behind the written law, and the interest of the country and the people are safeguarded at all times,” he said.
The Sultan also spoke on the need to correct what he described as the misconception that the constitutional monarchy was just a symbol devoid of any power.
Will the Sultan of Perak have his final say tomorrow on how his state is to be governed under his rule?
