Sunday, February 08, 2009

Constitutional expert: Sultan Azlan Shah errs

Constitutional expert Professor Aziz A Bari reiterated in malaysiakini that the Sultan of Perak has no powers under the post-Merdeka state constitution to "hire or fire" a Menteri Besar at his personal pleasure. To put it simply and bluntly, it is reasoned that, the Sultan's decision to "sack" Nizar is an act of an absolute, not constitutional, monarchy. Absolute monarchy was first publicly criticised by none other than the Umno-dominated National Front government itself during the popular movements for constitutional amendments in the 1980s and 1990s to curb excessess and check abuses of the powers of traditional sultans. One of the basic principles and slogans popluarised by Umno veterans and Malay nationalists, such as Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and (the late) Ghafar Baba was: raja adil raja disembah; raja zalim raja disanggah.

Support only legitimate government in Perak