Rakyat should not question King’s wisdom

Published on: Tuesday, May 26, 2020

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The one thing I notice that continues to elude some to this day is the concept of “derhaka” and “daulat” in the Malay psyche.

The former is often translated as “betrayal” or “treachery” but these English terms do not even begin to encapsulate the spirit behind the ignominy of breaking the social norm.

“Daulat” can mean “sovereignty” and “Daulat Tuanku” carries with it the notion of supremacy of the sovereign.

These are fundamental principles that have been ingrained into the Malay psyche, even among the more liberal-minded ones.

In school, our children know from the Rukun Negara that loyalty to King and country comes after belief in God (note that “King” comes before “country”, i.e. Kesetiaan kepada Raja dan Negara).

It is with this in mind that we have to look at the Royal Address by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong during the opening of the Parliament early this week.

In subtle yet clear fashion, he had admonished those who had attempted to “create another political crisis”.

And in a departure from convention, His Majesty had to set the record straight on the background that led to the swearing in of the current prime minister.

This is despite him having been empowered under the Federal Constitution to act the way he had. There was no need for a person at the apex of our political structure to explain his actions.

Put in another way, our King, a man with an impeccable pedigree, has unnecessarily been put on the defensive by those seeking to politicise the royal institution.

Such action to assail our revered institution is unnecessary, unbecoming and, I would say, even treacherous.

Hardly, any Malay would want to be seen as openly up against our Sultans and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong who are constitutionally defenders of Islam.

Unless one is a Malay, it may be very difficult for one to fathom the depths of our reverence to the royalty. And when the royalty has decreed that we should all stay away from politics during this Covid-19 pandemic and accept his choice of prime minister, made based on Constitutional provisions, we toe the line.

The royal message is crystal-clear. When it comes to choosing between royalty and politics, it’s a no-brainer.

Concerned