RPK staggering exposé on Perak royalty

In August 2007 there was a swell of euphoria regarding royal activism in Malaysian politics. The anti BN people, chiefly PKR members and even some PAS with the odd DAP supporters were in favour of this non constitutional non halal nonsense.

At that time I was very displeased with RPK who had (prior to the 2008 general election) promoted the idea of royalty as our political silver bullet at his Malaysia-Today blog. Yes, I was one of those very few who warned against jacking royalty up above its constitutional role.

A letter to Malaysiakini titled No more backbencher’s role for Rulers had me responding with a letter too, where I stated (extracts):

But we need to remember Malaysia is a democracy built around a constitutional monarchy, meaning the voice of the people, and not those of the rulers, prevails. […]

But we must never talk as if, or even suggest that they had been 'backbenchers' moving forward (presumably) to the 'front bench'.

That's dangerous talk, to suggest the rulers may play a direct political role … while serving as respective Heads of States …, or still retaining their royal prerogatives.

It's certainly a sign of our frustration with the current government that some of us believe the royalty could and would be our saviour. We, the politically frustrated public members, are in reality grasping at straws in much the same way as many of us had embraced a former UMNO reject as a political saviour against a previous regime even when there was no evidence of his reformist qualities during his various ministerial roles.

No matter how good any individual royalty is, no matter how bad any politician is, let us not unwittingly change our system of constitutional monarchy to one of absolute monarchy, or of one where royalty has a greater degree of direct political participation. That will be a regrettable step backwards.

Just remember, for a current praiseworthy royal individual, we had experienced a difficult one before. Therefore we should be concerned for a Malaysia governed by a consistent system rather than one by individuals.

Let us vote for good politicians and rid ourselves of bad ones, but we must never invite royalty to assume a political role, unless they wish to participate as an ordinary member of the public under the electoral process. Let us not throw the (constitutional monarchy) baby out with the (corrupt or wayward politician) bath water.

Remember, it's one thing to be euphoric about our royalty being currently politically vocal, but it's equally important to be aware that euphoria will initially give a feeling of false well-being before eventually killing that person!

I accompanied that letter with a post on my blog titled Dangerous euphoria over 'political' royalty.

Presumably, after reading my MKINI letter, a sweetie whom I adore, wrote to me to ask: ‘Vous êtes un républicain?’ ;-)

Then about a year later in April 2008, I posted The dangers of royal political activism where I voiced my concerns again, this time echoing MKINI columnists Ong Kian Ming and Oon Yeoh who wrote in their article The problem with royal activism:

Some people, perhaps simply because they like seeing Pak Lah squirm under the royal thumb in Perlis and Terengganu – cheered on the royalty, saying that their intervention was a good thing.

But it all depends on whose ox is being gored, doesn't it? Would these very same people cheer on the sultan's actions if this had happened to the opposition?

Re the last sentence, doesn't Perak jump to mind?

Anyway, much as I was not impressed by what I regard as RPK's dangerous promotion of the royalty as our political silver bullet, I have to NOW give credit to him for his balls of brass. He has done the ultimate exposé on those royalty.

Read his latest article Why the Pakatan Rakyat government was brought down in Perak and what he has revealed about the royalty in Perak and to a lesser extent, Selangor.

As with his other exposé RPK has provided chapter and verse.