4  theSun | WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 4 2009

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Raja Nazrin: Ruler must

be neutral
and non-partisan
KUALA KANGSAR: The Ruler, as
the head of state and country,
needs to be neutral, non-partisan
and free of having personal inter-
est to ensure justice for the people,
the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr
Nazrin Shah, said yesterday.
“As the head of state at the
state level and head of the coun-
try at the national level, the Ruler
plays a role in upholding stabil-
ity and justice, and strengthening
solidarity and unity,” he said.
“The presence of the Ruler
helps in enhancing the effective-
ness of the check and balance
mechanism, thus strengthening
the institutions of the legislature,
executive and judiciary that have
been created in the country, lifting
the level of public confidence in
the system of government and
system of nationhood based on
democratic practices, and the
doctrine of the division of power.”
Raja Nazrin said this during
the pledge of loyalty at a special
investiture in conjunction with
the Silver Jubilee celebration of
the reign of Sultan Azlan Shah as
the 34th Sultan of Perak at Istana
Iskandariah here.
At the investiture, 25 individu-
als who had served the Sultan with
loyalty were conferred a special
award, Darjah Kebesaran Dato’
Seri Azlanii (DSA), which carries
the title “Datuk Seri”, created in
conjunction with the celebration.
Raja Permaisuri Perak Tuanku
Bainun also graced the occasion.
Raja Nazrin said that as the
head of state and country, a Ruler
must always ensure that whatever
he said and did were not misinter-
preted and misunderstood.
He also said the power entrust-
ed by Allah must be discharged
with responsibility because the
Ruler would be judged in the
hereafter.
“As such, power must be exer-
cised to implement good practices.
great respect that emerged out of
true love based on the fine charac-
teristics of the individual and not
because of his rank, position, title
or throne.
Referring to his father, Sultan
Azlan Shah, he said Sultan Azlan
Shah clearly understood the
sentiments and aspiration of his
subjects who comprised various
races, religions and cultures.
“The height of the throne has
never caused my father to ignore
the welfare of his subjects; the
fence surrounding the palace has
never prevented my father from
seeing the reality occurring in the
state,” he said.
“Throughout his reign, my
father has always upheld the
principles of justice based on the
sovereignty of the law, giving em-
phasis on solidarity, cooperation,
consensus and consultation.
“My father has proven that the
system of monarchy, which con-
tinued to be upheld, initially in the
Federation of Malaya, and later in
independent Malaysia, was not
only to maintain the continuity of
civilisation, not merely to comple-
ment the historical value and not
merely to fulfill the sentimental
value of the nation, in fact, the
monarchy was capable of instill-
ing the spirit, forming the feature
and giving identity, particularly as a
symbol of maintaining the histori-
cal heritage of Malay governance
in this country.”
Tracing the 471-year history
of the Perak Sultanate, beginning
with the reign of Paduka Seri Sul-
tan Muzaffar Shah I in 1528, Raja
Nazrin said Sultan Azlan Shah is
the fourth Sultan of Perak who
had ruled for more than 25 years.
“Previously, the second Sultan
of Perak, Paduka Seri Sultan
Mansur Shah I, ruled for 28 years
(1549-1577), the 11th Sultan of
Perak, Paduka Seri Sultan Mahmud
Iskandar Shah ruled for 67 years
BERNAMAPIX
‘Throne becomes museum
piece if unwisely governed’
KUALA KANGSAR: The Sultan of Perak
Sultan Azlan Shah said the monarchy could
be reduced to a museum piece if it was not
wisely and fairly governed.
“History has shown that the downfall
of a monarchy was not because the sys-
tem was not good, but rather because of
misdeeds.
“Internal bickering and the ruler being
wrongly advised by noblemen and court
officials, who had vested interest to amass
wealth or power, were among the causal
factors,” said the Sultan at the pledge of
loyalty and investiture ceremony at Istana
Iskandariah yesterday, to commemorate
the silver jubilee of his reign.
Sultan Azlan said in the past, the throne
was an institution that was “one for all and
all for one”, and the king fulfilled the role
of one who promulgated laws accord-
ing to his discretion, a role equivalent to a
parliament.
“The throne also had executive power
and the king as the arbiter. Sometimes,
the king delegated his power to the prime
minister, sometimes he himself assumed
the duty of the government, culminating
in the concept of a working king,” he said.
Sultan Azlan Shah said the throne was
also the judiciary where matters which
needed judgment were tried in the palace
before the ruler, who had the final say.
“The three heavy responsibilities would
not be executed wisely, fairly, evenly and
effectively if they rested solely on the
ruler’s shoulders.
“So, the evolution process of a gov-
ernment took place. In our country, the
formula for a government and nation
was achieved through the sharing of
power between the palace and the peo-
ple through the constitutional monarchy
system and parliamentary democracy,”
said the Sultan.
He said the government chosen by
the people was bolstered by three pillars,
namely the legislative, executive and judi-
ciary to check and complement each other
to ensure that there would be no abuse of
power while the interests of the people
were protected.
“The throne remains a symbol of peace,
the pillar of fairness, the place to seek
mercy and pardon,” Sultan Azlan Shah
said, adding that constitutional monarchy
was a good system to ensure the people’s
respect for the government.
“In Islam, the ruler is recognised
to be equivalent to a caliph. Here,
the Federal Constitution recognises
the King as the head of Islam,” he
said.
Sultan Azlan Shah said during
Friday prayers, millions of Muslims
hear the sermon delivered by the
“khatib” (preacher) and said amen
to the “doa” (prayer) asking for the
rulers to be blessed with divine
guidance to continue leading the
country.
“As such, let me remind all
that the ‘doa’ will continue to
be read and blessed as long as
the throne is highly regarded,
and deemed to be fair and
equitable.
“And as long as the throne is
not cruel and does not oppress
the people,” the Sultan said.
– Bernama
Sultan Azlan Shah and
Tuanku Bainun arrive for the

The Ruler’s nobility and honour,
position and sovereignty do not
come automatically,” he said.
Raja Nazrin said genuine nobil-
ity originated from the feeling of
(1653-1720) and the 29th Sultan pledge of loyalty and special
of Perak, Paduka Seri Sultan Idris investiture ceremony at Istana
Murshidul ‘Adzam Shah I, ruled Iskandariah. Behind them are
for 29 years (1887-1916),” he said. Raja Nazrin and Raja Puan
– Bernama Besar Perak Tuanku Zara.

Perak govt gives EC 48 hours

to review decision
by Humayun Kabir
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
IPOH: Perak DAP chairman
Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham has
given the Election Commis-
sion (EC) 48 hours to review
its decision that there will not
be by-elections for the Chang-
kat Jering and Behrang state
seats.
Ngeh, a senior state execu-
tive councillor, told a press
conference yesterday the EC
did not have the authority or
power to decide whether to
hold an election or not, and
should not question the right
of the Perak state speaker in
calling for the two by-elec-
tions.
He said: “The speaker has
notified the EC that he has
received letters of resignation
from the two PKR members
of the state assembly. Pursu-
ant to the provisions of Article
35 of the State Constitution,
which states a member of
the legislative assembly
may resign his membership
by writing addressed to the
speaker, it is not for the EC to
second-guess the decision of
the speaker.
“The speaker is legally
obliged to act on the letters,
and neither the speaker nor
the EC could conduct any
inquiry (on the resignations).
“The EC’s refusal to con-
duct the two by-elections, as
directed by the speaker, is
a dereliction of its constitu-
tional duties, which is ultra
vires, and this clearly shows
biasness.”
Ngeh would not say what
action the Pakatan Rakyat
state government would take
if the EC refused to heed the
ultimatum.
Asked whether it would
challenge the EC decision
in court, he said: “Let the 48
hours pass first.”
In Petaling Jaya, Tan Yi
Liang reports that opposition
leaders have criticised the
EC’s decision as “unconstitu-
tional” and “ultra vires”.
“As pointed out by former
EC chairman Tan Sri Rashid
Rahman, the commission’s
constitutional duty is to act
on the Perak speaker’s official
notification on the vacancy of
the two state assembly seats
and to call for by-elections to
be held in the next 60 days,”
DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang
said.
Lim, the Ipoh Timur MP,
said the EC should not take
on the role of the courts in
disputing the decision of the
speaker that the two seats
were vacant.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat
information chief Tian Chua
said the EC’s refusal to accept
the speaker’s notification is
“ultra vires”.
“They cannot challenge
the speaker. It is not their
job,” he said.
“If Osman and Jamal
(Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu
and Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi)
are disputing the decision
of the speaker, they should
have gone to the court to get
an injunction, but the EC
has received nothing from
the court sor from any of the
individuals.”
Aliran president P.
Ramakrishnan said the EC
has no discretionary author-
ity to override the notification
of the speaker that the seats
have fallen vacant.