"King’s Slashed Powers!!" - But Do Ku Li, Akmal Dare Blame Dr M For 1994 Constitutional Tweak...?!!

OPINION | "King’s Slashed Powers!!" - But Do Ku Li, Akmal Dare Blame Dr M For 1994 Constitutional Tweak...?!!


5 Jan 2026 • 10:00 AM MYT



JK Joseph
Repentant ex-banker who believes in truth, compassion and some humour

Is Dr Mahathir quietly having the last laugh now? Credit Image: The Straits Times (Photo: AFP) / Aliran / The Malay Mail (Photo from Facebook/Pemuda UMNO).


If only UMNO/BN under Dr Mahathir hadn't amended the Federal Constitution In 1994, wouldn't Najib be spending his sentence in the comfort of his home today?


(Note: Last Friday, Najib was found guilty in the 1MDB case for which he was sentenced to 15 years' jail in addition to a fine of RM11.38bil; but assuming he had been successful in his “house arrest” bid, wouldn't he be “chilling” at home while his lawyers go through the motion of appealing this latest conviction?)


Recently, UMNO veteran, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, had caused a stir after calling for his party to review its position in the unity government; this was following the recent court ruling pertaining to its ex-president Najib Razak’s controversial “addendum” and house arrest case.


Not pulling any punches, the ex-Gua Musang lawmaker had warned that if the UMNO leadership believes that the issue is contrary to the party's principles, then its party leaders holding positions in the unity government must consider relinquishing their respective positions.


Tengku Razaleigh, who is fondly known as Ku Li, also expressed surprise as to why UMNO leaders have never held any high-level conference to discuss the addendum case involving Najib.


He further stressed that efforts must be carried out by UMNO leaders, including seeking a pardon for Najib from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (the king) who he claimed has the power, “absolute right” and prerogative to implement it based on His Majesty's discretion and humanitarian considerations.


But didn't the recent court ruling make it abundantly clear that according to the (amended) Constitution, the king no longer enjoys “absolute” rights in matters pertaining to royal pardon?


In a bold move, Razeleigh also issued a rallying call to UMNO members at branch and division levels not to remain silent but instead express their disappointment and frustration due to the lack of efforts by its party leaders in seeking Najib's pardon.


Meanwhile, a distraught UMNO Youth chief Akmal Saleh had echoed Razeleigh’s call by “demanding” for Umno to exit from the current government without any further delay!

Excerpt from Facebook of Akmal Saleh.


Akmal: What's the point of being Malay-Muslim leaders if we keep quiet when the king's power is reduced?


In that context, it would have been quite intriguing to hear Dr Mahathir's take on the matter but the shrewd centenarian seemed to have chosen to remain non-committal; after all, wasn't his UMNO-led government responsible for amending the Constitution to limit the king's powers?

Weren't Dr Mahathir and UMNO the architects behind the landmark Constitutional amendment to remove the king's “absolute powers?”


Truth be told, it was during his tenure as prime minister in 1994, that the government had initiated parliamentary amendments to the Federal Constitution; as a consequence of that, lawyers had stressed that the king's power had been reduced and the latter no longer enjoyed “absolute discretion!”


According to them, Article 40(1A) now stipulates that the head of the federation shall accept and act on advice in the exercise of his functions under the constitution – including the granting of royal pardon!


Ironically, when that “fateful” amendment was made in 1994 weren't Najib and Razeleigh both serving as Members of Parliament in Dr Mahathir's UMNO?


Were there any objections to it back then?


In fact, what critics may ask is: why didn't any of the successive prime ministers from UMNO (including Najib) make any attempt to re-amend the Federal Constitution – if they were truly “sincere” in restoring the king's "absolute powers?"


Why all the hue and cry only now – when the horse had already bolted from the barn?


In conclusion, given the uproar among some UMNO leaders over the failed "house arrest" bid, perhaps, what the general public may want to know is: why aren't they openly admitting that it was their “own party” that was responsible for limiting the powers of the king? Or are they deliberately “pulling the wool over the eyes” of ignorant party members to conceal their own past “blunder”…?