Ironically, as the Islamization of Malaysia moves further forward, where the powers of the Syariah Court is now felt ever more significantly, the Sultans as head of the Islamic religion in a State has lesser powers over religious matters.
That has been the opinion of Professor Aziz Bari. The Malaysian Insider reported Prof Bari …
… added that this was especially true of instances where the Sultan issues a decree on matters already decided upon by the Syariah Court.
“To me that’s illegal... The power of the Sultan is more... executive. [That he has] wandered into judicial power — that is not acceptable.”
Thanks to people like Zaid Ibrahim, Ragunath Kesavan (Bar Council President) and other law experts like Prof Bari, we can dismiss the attempted claim by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) that the Sultan’s decree is law.
It’s not. Laws may only be passed by DUNs and Parliaments. Rulers of this nation are only constitutional monarchs. The voice of the people is still supreme.
We must continue our vigilance lest this democracy reverts back to the days of 15th Century Sultan Mansur Shah where he could order anyone killed, or even in more recent times where a caddy was alleged to have been killed.
Though Zaid, Ragunath and Bari have done us a great service in clarifying the laws of this country and thus limiting the powers of a constitutional monarch, they were not original.
That honour must surely belong to Hang Jebat, the greatest warrior for justice, and in more recent times his admirer, Dr Mahathir, whose greatest legacy had been his taming of the Sultans.
It’s such a pity that a great hero like Dr M now associates himself with a person like Ibrahim Ali, and will address a mammoth rally in Terengganu to 'awaken the Malay race' on Thursday, May 13, a most significantly black day in the darker history of Malaysia.
hang jebat was not only defiant against sultan, he even molested palace women and sultan's consorts. such despicable act he had done! everyone knows sultan mansur was great sultan, that's why that time melaka was at her glorious years and great trading port. but great leader would err too, just like TDM and CSL. you still worship man like hang jebat who used "friendship" to cover his condemned act....
ReplyDeleteHang Tua the idiot should have deposed the sultan and became the sultan himself or support Hang Jebat to be the sultan, then Malacca Sultanate would not have gone for good.
ReplyDeleteKT,
ReplyDeleteIn this age why is people still tolerating the royals !What is its purpose ? And its frightening that we have people still afraid of them and bodeking them!
Is it GOD'S right or the royals right we have a FEW CHOSEN ONES DOING NOTHING FOR THE COUNTRY!
There's nothing wrong with having a constitutional monarch. Look, in a republic you have instead a governor in a state and a president federally, so what's the difference?
ReplyDeleteThe only problem is when people "forget" (sometimes deliberately for their own political purpose) the Sultans are constitutional monarchs and allow/persuade/accept royal decrees as if these are laws.
Additionally and unfortunately in our country, because of the culture (influenced by Buddhist Sri Vijaya - Hindu Majapahit heritage), there is still a very high degree of feudalistic subservience bordering on a belief in the Sultanates being absolute monarchy.
Alas, a few rulers (past and present) have taken advantage of this belief.
The founders of kingdoms and sultanates were nothing but a bunch of pirates, thieves and robbers, so what is so great about being of " royal blood " ?
ReplyDeleteThey very much prefer to be sultans of the Ottoman era, with harems filled to the brim
ReplyDeleteThey very much prefer to be sultans of the Ottoman era, with harems filled to the brim
ReplyDeleteFear not Ibrahim Ali. He is just a political opportunist. Similar to his one-time friend Anwar.
ReplyDelete