Royal battle - Anak Raja Perak Versus Anak Raja Selangor

Malaysia-Today:

Anak Raja Perak Versus Anak Raja Selangor



by Raja Petra Kamarudin

This was what Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah, the Anak Raja Perak, wrote:

A certain “Prince of Wales” felt fit to lecture the Yang di Pertuan Agong, the Monarch of a sovereign nation Malaysia, which they used to call Malaya. We thought the colonial era and mentality is long over but behold it is still very much alive.

Who exactly is this “Prince of Wales” who has his own Queen who arrogantly attacked our King? He is proud of his Welsh-British family background and being of royal descent perhaps qualify to be called the “Prince of Wales”.

Also known as RPK, the “Prince of Wales” is none other than Raja Petra Kamarudin, a British citizen, who used to reside in Malaysia. Strangely he was known to be a royalist before this. Why does a known royalist who is not residing in Malaysia and not even a citizen wants to attack the King of Malaysia?

Bahrin attacks me for criticising His Majesty the Agong and yet when Clare Rewcastle Brown attacked Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong last year for what she called a “palace-backed coup” he calls that “freedom of speech”.

And is “freedom of speech” not one of the values Bahrin’s Pakatan Harapan claims to uphold? So why is Bahrin insulting my lineage and denying me “freedom of speech”?

Former Deputy Prime Minister Tun Ghafar Baba once told Parliament that it is not wrong to criticise the Raja-Raja Melayu. And that is the reason why they amended the Federal Constitution of Malaysia twice (the first time when Ghafar was the DPM and the second time when Anwar Ibrahim was the DPM).

Tun Dr Mahathir asked Parliament to set up a Special Court to try any Raja Melayu who commits a crime, and a violation of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia would be considered a crime. So how can criticising the Agong be wrong when in the 1980s the new Budaya Melayu or Malay culture was to attack the Raja-Raja Melayu if they go against the government of the day?

Maybe Bahrin forgot he spoke to me in the 1980s about Mahathir, Umno and Barisan Nasional attacking the Raja-Raja Melayu, the Istana Terengganu included. And was it not Bahrin himself who attacked the Istana Terengganu for what he alleged was wasting more than RM1 billion of the taxpayer’s money on a new palace (Istana Syarqiyyah) in Cendering?

In fact, Bahrin spoke to me about that matter, and he even gave me the financial details (down to the cost of the main door) so that I could write about it and attack His Highness the Sultan of Terengganu. But I did not do that because I knew Bahrin was angry that he was not given the main architectural work for the palace, the fees which would have been a King’s ransom (pun intended).

When Pakatan Harapan was in power for 22 months, why did they not amend the 1983 and 1994 Constitutional Amendments that stripped the Agong of certain powers and allowed the Raja-Raja Melayu to be dragged to court and prosecuted for their crimes, a violation of the Constitution being one of them?

Is Bahrin not in Pakatan Harapan and the Chief of Amanah Terengganu. Bahrin could have asked Pakatan Harapan to undo the damage that Dr Mahathir, Ghafar and Anwar did in 1983 and 1994 and return the powers to the Agong and the Raja-Raja Melayu.

But Pakatan Harapan did not do that. Why? And now they grumble about Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin derhaka to His Majesty the Agong. Nonsense! In 1983 and 1994, the Umno government defanged the Agong and the Raja-Raja Melayu. So now they can only bark but not bite. And it was Umno that did this. And it was Pakatan Harapan that did not undo this.

Bahrin said, “Why does a known royalist who is not residing in Malaysia and not even a citizen wants to attack the King of Malaysia?”


Has Bahrin forgotten the meeting we had in Rumah Kedah in Penang back in the early 1980s? That was almost 40 years ago and in that meeting we discussed the plan of action and strategy that the Raja-Raja Melayu should adopt to save themselves.

Yes, the discussion was about what the Raja-Raja Melayu should do to save themselves. And Bahrin was in that meeting. And we agreed that the Raja-Raja Melayu must behave themselves, not go against the Constitution, and most important of all, not interfere or get involved in politics.

We agreed that politicians are very territorial and very protective of their turf. And if the Raja-Raja Melayu are seen to be crossing swords with politicians, that would put the entire institution of the monarchy at risk.

It was further agreed in the meeting, which Bahrin attended, that if any of the Raja-Raja Melayu get out of line, whether the Agong or the State Rulers, we shall caution them that they are treading on very thin ice that endangers not only them but all nine Royal Households and the office of the Agong.

Raja Bahrin should take a lesson from Imam Ghazali who refused to go to the Palace when invited. He replied that if the Sultan wants to meet him, then let His Highness come to him. And the Sultan did just that. And when the Sultan asked why, Imam Ghazali replied: because he did not want to be a crony of the palace, so that if the Sultans errs, he can tegur His Highness.

Yes, sometimes we need to be the mouse that bells the cat. As Brutus said, “It is not that I love Caesar less but that I love Rome more.” So I am still very much a Royalist and not a Republican. But if we need to criticise the Raja-Raja Melayu to save them from themselves, so be it.

If Bahrin wants to engage me in a debate he is most welcome. For that matter I will take on anyone who wishes to debate me. But debate me on the points I have raised, not on where I was born and where I am living.

Am I wrong when I said the Agong cannot sack the Prime Minister? Am I wrong when I said there is no such thing as an “Interim Prime Minister” in the Constitution? Am I wrong when I said Parliament cannot be held on Monday, 9th August 2021, because you need 28 days’ notice to the Speaker? Am I wrong when I said if Parliament is held on Monday, 9th August 2021, you cannot table a motion of confidence because you need 28 days’ notice to the Speaker? Am I wrong when I said the Agong shall take the advice of the Prime Minister except in only three cases? Am I wrong when I said, according to the Constitution, the Agong must not issue political statements or show support or opposition to any political party?

Let us debate those points and not debate where I was born and where I am currently living.