Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 (Bernama) — The Rulers feel that their roles are not merely to complement the customs of the country because “they are neither blind, deaf nor mute” or insensitive to the goings on in the country, said Raja Dr Nazrin Shah.

The frank opinions of the Rulers in matters concerning national unity, the role of religion, freedom of the judiciary as well as corruption and abuse of power were made out of their desire to ensure that the country continued to be strong and peaceful, and the people lived in prosperity, he said.

Everyting that transpired were within their knowledge, said Raja Nazrin, who is the Raja Muda of Perak, at a talk entitled “The Institution of the Monarchy” at Intan, here Monday.

He said that after 50 years of independence, the Rulers had reached a level of maturity by understanding their roles especially when the country faced a crisis.

However, in order to preserve respect for the monarchy, the Rulers must remain neutral and avoid from being involved in political disputes or being used as an instrument by any quarters in the competition to gain political power, Raja Nazrin said.

“In line with the spirit of the Constitutional Monarchy which is normally practised, the role of the Ruler is to rule and not to administer. The Ruler must be above politics and the daily administrative matters which involves bureaucracy and various controversies.

“As he sits on the throne which is on a higher level, The Ruler is only involved whenever the situation warrants it,” said Raja Nazrin.

The national constitution, he said, provided that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Rulers had the discretion which could be applied according to their Royal prerogative subject to certain constraints.

“The prerogative of the Ruling Monarch encompasses the power to appoint the Prime Minister at the federal level and to appoint the Menteri Besar at the state level, and the right to give consent to the dissolution of Parliament at the federal level and the State Legislative Assembly at the state level.

“In matters concerning the appointment of the Prime Minister and the Menteri Besar, the prerogative of the Ruling Monarch is not absolute. He is in a position where he has the right to determine who has the support of the majority of the elected representatives in parliament or the State Legislative Assembly. The discretion of the Ruler is crucial when there is no single party that holds the majority in the Dewan Rakyat or the State Assembly or whenever a coalition goverment is to be formed,” he said.

In such a situation, said Raja Nazrin, the ruling Monarch could act in his own discretion to decide on the leader who was considered to have the majority support of the elected representatives, and the failure to use his discretion wisely would be interpreted by the people as a failure on the part of the Ruling monarch to discharge his responsibilities fairly and equitably.

He said the result of the general election in March had placed a heavy responsibility on the Istana Perak, where based on the results, the group claiming to have the majority support appeared to be vague.

In the March 8 general election, Barisan Nasional (BN) won 28 of the 59 State Assembly seats contested in Perak while the DAP won 18 seats, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) seven seats and PAS six seats.

The DAP, PKR and PAS collectively won 31 seats but, according to Raja Nazrin, they must reach a consensus officially to choose a candidate who could convince the ruling Monarch that he could obtain the majority support of the State Assemblymen.

“They had to undergo a lengthy process before the Menteri Besar could be sworn in and the letter of appointment presented to him,” he said.

He also cited the case of Selangor where the BN won 20 seats, the PKR 15, DAP 13 and PAS eight.

“Although the DAP-PKR-PAS combination showed a clear majority, the Sultan of Selangor still had to ensure that the candidate that he consented to was accepted by the three parties that wished to set up a coalition government,” Raja Nazrin said.

The Star

PETALING JAYA: The Regent of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah and wife Raja Puan Besar Tuanku Zara Salim were blessed with a prince on Friday.

The royal baby was delivered at around 10am at the Damansara Specialist Hospital near here.

It is learnt that both mother and son are well and healthy.

Sultan Azlan Shah and Tuanku Bainun who were also present arrived at the hospital at about 1.25pm and left after spending approximately an hour there.

Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, 52, the eldest child of Sultan Azlan Shah and Tuanku Bainun, married 35-year-old Tuanku Zara Salim at Istana Iskandariah in Kuala Kangsar on May 17 last year.

Zara is the grandniece of first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Abdullah, Cabinet Ministers and the IGP should give serious heed to Raja Nazrin’s advice and end 2007 with a “win-win” scenario by drafting guidelines for Malaysians to exercise their constitutionally-enshrined right to hold peaceful demonstrations to voice their grievances while maintaining public order.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, all Cabinet Ministers and the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan should give serious heed to the advice by the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah that “the desire to maintain public order should not be an excuse for never allowing peaceful assemblies” as the holding of peaceful demonstrations to voice their grievances is a constitutionally-enshrined right of Malaysian citizens.

In an interview with New Sunday Times series “VOICES 08”, Raja Nazrin said:

“Freedom of expression through peaceful demonstrations is a right people can reasonably expect to enjoy in a democratic society. This right is enshrined in our Constitution.

“So people are acting within their constitutional rights in wanting to voice their grievances by holding peaceful demonstrations.

“The right to live in peace and harmony in a safe environment is also a right people can reasonably expect to enjoy in any well-run society. The government is responsible for public order.

“The right to demonstrate must always be balanced by the need to maintain public order.”

All Malaysians can accept Raja Nazrin’s formulation of the relationship between public order and the people’s constitutional right to peaceful demonstration as part of the fundamental liberties of Malaysians to freedom of expression. They also agree with Raja Nazrin that striking the balance between public freedom and public order is never an easy thing to do and that it is a judgment the authorities have to make on the available information.

The current controversy over peaceful demonstrations lies in the failure of the authorities concerned to observe the important qualification highlighted by Raja Nazrin when he stressed that “the desire to maintain public order should not be used as an excuse for never allowing peaceful assemblies” – as there is now a blanket ban by the police on all peaceful demonstrations in the country for people to express their grievances!

Let 2007, the year celebrating the 50th Merdeka anniversary of independence and freedom for Malaysians, end with a “win-win” scenario with the Prime Minister, Cabinet and the Inspector-General of Police drawing up guidelines for Malaysians to exercise their constitutionally-sanctioned right to hold peaceful demonstrations to voice their grievances while maintaining public order.

Malaysia, which claims to want to join the ranks of the first-world developed nations, has a lot to learn from advanced countries in order to shake off our “third-world mentality” and replace it with a “first-world mindset”.

In London, Paris, Berlin or Washington, peaceful demonstrations are a common occurrence involving thousands, tens of thousands and sometimes hundreds of thousands of people, where the police help to maintain law and order, facilitate crowd control and smoothen traffic flow – unlike in Malaysia where the police will create a gridlock paralyzing traffic and locking down the federal capital if there is a whiff of a peaceful demonstration, however small!

It is time that the government and police listen to sane and rational voices like those of Raja Nazrin and former Deputy Prime Minister, Tun Musa Hitam, who in a New Sunday Times interview a fortnight ago made a powerful case for peaceful assemblies in Malaysia.

Asked whether Malaysia is ready for peaceful assemblies, Musa who was formerly Home Minister and was the first Suhakam Chairman, replied without hesitation: “Yes! Come on, we have been independent for 50 years.”

Musa was clearly in full agreement with Raja Nazrin as the elder ASEAN statesman said:

“The right to peaceful assembly is enshrined in our democratic institution. That right also gives the right to the government to refuse.

“The thing at issue is not that the rights are not there. The rights exist. It is the application of the right and the administration of the right that I am taking issue with.”

This is why it is shocking to see the Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, leading a nation-wide campaign to drum up support against peaceful demonstrations and even seeking to poison the minds of teachers and students by subverting the fundamental liberties enshrined in the constitution – especially the right to peaceful demonstration for Malaysians to express their grievances.

Lim Kit Siang

Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: The monarchy in Malaysia is an integral part of the country as well as a symbol of identity, continuity, unity and strength, and contrary to some opinion, is not all form and no function, said the Raja Muda of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah.

“It is a symbol of identity because it is a national institution, one that distinguishes this country from all others, and it is a symbol of continuity because the monarchy in Malaysia is an old institution and provides a sense of historical significance to the people,” he said.

He said this at a public lecture entitled ‘50 Years of National Development and Nationhood’ at the Khazanah Nasional Develop- ment Seminar last night.

Raja Nazrin said the monarchies that have survived, including the one in Malaysia, have done so because they have evolved in line with social progress and contribute to public life.

He said that for the monarchy in Malaysia to continue to function effectively, it must remain fresh and vital by fulfilling the role expected of it.

“It is an often overlooked or under-appreciated fact that the monarchy in Malaysia is supposed to play a productive role by being a healthy check and balance in the system of governance,” he said.

He said the Federal Constitution mandates the monarchy to be the guardian of the just rule of law, an impartial arbiter in the democratic process and an overseer of the pillars of state.

“Some believe that Rulers are supposed to do so in a purely ceremonial sense, but I would argue that this contradicts the true spirit, if not the letter, of the Federal Constitution,” he said.

He said that while the monarchy was required to act on the advice of the executive, it must also uphold the principles of good governance and the rule of law, with credibility and impartiality.

“To do otherwise would be to undermine its integrity, as well as that of the Federal Constitution,” he said, adding that for the monarchy to effectively discharge its responsibilities, it will need to have avenues for genuine and in-depth consultations with the executive.

Raja Nazrin said this should pose no problem, however, given the common and unswerving aim of advancing the interests of the nation.

“This unity of purpose will also help ensure that the relationship will be cooperative and not marred by open confrontation,” he added. – Bernama

Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 (Bernama) — Policymakers must be aware of the changes that need to be made if Malaysia is to remain prosperous for the next 50 years, the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, said today.

He said they must acknowledge that what has worked in the past is unlikely to work in the future.

“To keep Malaysia internationally competitive, the country needs to take a big step up the technological ladder by moving into high-technology and knowledge-intensive industries,” he said when launching a book entitled “Malaysia: From Kampung to Twin Towers 50 Years of Economic and Social Development” at Carcosa Seri Negara.

Raja Nazrin said future growth would have to come from productivity gains and technological breakthroughs.

“To do so, it will require the country to vastly improve its human capital base by investing on training and education as well as promoting research and development.

“Incentives can hugely influence the shaping of market behaviour by creating the right incentive for efficient market behaviour and people will respond accordingly.

“For the growth to be sustainable, these incentives must be embodied in institutions. The ability to provide appropriate institutional environment for market to flourish and operate efficiently is essential to sustainable development, he said.

Raja Nazrin said countries that have failed in this respect have experienced stagnation or falling incomes and persistent poverty.

Supporting institutions should include protection of property rights, strong legal system, independent judiciary and environmental protection, he said.

“There must also be incentives for government to provide good governance through mechanism such as separation of powers, avenues for public to monitor public behaviour and rules that inhibit corruption.

They all contribute towards effective and efficient functioning of a modern economy, he said.

In certain important aspects, Raja Nazrin said Malaysia was the most suitable model for other developing nations in economic performance than the East Asian tiger economies namely South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

“Malaysia is a resource-rich country in contrast to the East Asian tiger economies that are resource poor.

“Malaysia remains one of the few countries that have managed to transform its rich natural resource base into sustainable development.

“Within 50 years, the economy has undergone significant structural transformation, from heavily dependent on primary commodity exports to one that is more broad-based.

“Gaining a better understanding on how this was achieved is relevant to policymakers in other countries”, he added.

Some 150 distinguished guests attended the launch of the book authored by Datuk Dr Richard Leete, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Malaysia.

– BERNAMA