PENDANG, Sept 26 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim emphasised that he will not interfere in matters concerning the position of the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, and that any dispute involving the royal institution should be resolved under the Constitution and the law.
Under the constitutional monarchy system practised in the country, any action concerning a Ruler could not be taken arbitrarily but must be based on constitutional provisions.
“I said I am not interfering. What am I interfering in? The Undangs made a decision. There are parties supporting them and giving their views, and there is no problem with that. I do not want to interfere.
“But even with the Undang, which is valid, which is invalid? Decide and resolve that,” he said during the Sebarkan Salam dan Pendang Berselawat Bersama Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim programme last night.
Anwar added that issues involving the Ruler should not be taken lightly as Malaysia practises a constitutional monarchy that places the royal institution within the framework of the Constitution.
Any action to remove or depose a Ruler cannot be taken lightly, but is instead subject to the conditions and processes stipulated in the state Constitution.
“Discuss it amicably. I do not agree with overthrowing a Ruler so easily. Our system cannot work that way, which is why the Constitution is very clear,” he said.
Anwar noted that the Prime Minister and Cabinet also have limits to their powers set by the Constitution and cannot arbitrarily change matters relating to the institution of the Malay Rulers.
“The Prime Minister is the chief executive administering the country. What is his limit? He cannot amend the Constitution regarding Islam, the Malay language, the rights of all Malays, and the Rulers,” he said.
The principle must be defended to ensure the constitutional monarchy system is not eroded by actions that do not follow constitutional channels.
“If we can bring down a Ruler so easily, the royal system will cease to exist in our country. But I understand the people, especially the Malays, and many Malaysians, including the Chinese and Indians, also do not want this system to be threatened,” Anwar said.
As such, the issue should not be regarded merely as a political issue, but as one that involves the country’s system that must be defended.
“If we, as Malays, are divided even over the Malay Rulers as a pillar of our system, how can we expect others to respect us? This is our problem, because hatred, anger and differences of opinion have caused us to lose our judgement and our senses,” he said.
At the event, the Prime Minister also announced an additional allocation of RM2.8 million to repair basic infrastructure at 14 Islamic educational institutions throughout Kedah.
