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Nazrin: Rulers must be told the real story
The Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah, said today rulers should not be shielded from the truth and must be told the real story.
In addition, rulers should never be surrounded by people with personal interests who are willing to use them as tools.
"Rulers must have advisers who are sincere, sensitive to the people's needs and bold to state the truth," he said at 'Wacana Ilmu Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) on the theme 'The role of Malay rulers in nurturing unity' in Shah Alam.
Raja Nazrin said rulers should be willing to accept the fact, no matter how bitter, as justice could not be uphold without the truth.
"Rulers can't play a meaningful role if they are given a rosy picture. The false impression is unfair as they will be denied the right to conduct their responsibilities fairly."
Raja Nazrin expressed fears that shielding rulers from the truth would separate them from the people, making it difficult to address integrity, statehood, loyalty and unity.
"Exploiting sentiments is easy as the people easily fall for promises. The prescription can only heal if the syndrome is identified.
"It is unwise if the nation and people choose to reject reality, blurring the vision on the real reasons that affect unity."
Raja Nazrin said stiff political competition had exploited sensitive religious and racial issues and dissatisfactions of the people.
No one party is right all the time
"In all conflicts, no one party is right all the time and no one party is wrong all the time.
"The methods to achieve total victory by beating foes have cast aside good manners, customs, morals and religious elements."
He also feared that the rising political temperature would turn dreams of unity into a nightmare, adding that there should be a neutral, credible and acceptable institution to lower this.
It was important for rulers to not only be above political polemics but also have the trust and responsibility of ensuring peace and harmony.
"Rulers must use wisdom to calm situations, but they do not have a 'magic lamp' to keep unity, especially when the situation has become chaotic."
Raja Nazrin said the role of rulers was to give advice privately, so that this was not misinterpreted as directly interfering with the administration.
"The credibility of some national instruments require a recovery of perception and need improvements in line with the current world dynamics to restore confidence in the people."
Raja Nazrin said unity would not be achieved in an unstable and immature political climate post the 12th general election, with calls for reality checks and demands for change.
"Unity requires a willingness to sacrifice, accept defeat willingly and celebrate victory with humility," he added.
- Bernama
In addition, rulers should never be surrounded by people with personal interests who are willing to use them as tools.
"Rulers must have advisers who are sincere, sensitive to the people's needs and bold to state the truth," he said at 'Wacana Ilmu Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) on the theme 'The role of Malay rulers in nurturing unity' in Shah Alam.
Raja Nazrin said rulers should be willing to accept the fact, no matter how bitter, as justice could not be uphold without the truth."Rulers can't play a meaningful role if they are given a rosy picture. The false impression is unfair as they will be denied the right to conduct their responsibilities fairly."
Raja Nazrin expressed fears that shielding rulers from the truth would separate them from the people, making it difficult to address integrity, statehood, loyalty and unity.
"Exploiting sentiments is easy as the people easily fall for promises. The prescription can only heal if the syndrome is identified.
"It is unwise if the nation and people choose to reject reality, blurring the vision on the real reasons that affect unity."
Raja Nazrin said stiff political competition had exploited sensitive religious and racial issues and dissatisfactions of the people.
No one party is right all the time
"In all conflicts, no one party is right all the time and no one party is wrong all the time.
"The methods to achieve total victory by beating foes have cast aside good manners, customs, morals and religious elements."
He also feared that the rising political temperature would turn dreams of unity into a nightmare, adding that there should be a neutral, credible and acceptable institution to lower this.
It was important for rulers to not only be above political polemics but also have the trust and responsibility of ensuring peace and harmony.
"Rulers must use wisdom to calm situations, but they do not have a 'magic lamp' to keep unity, especially when the situation has become chaotic."
Raja Nazrin said the role of rulers was to give advice privately, so that this was not misinterpreted as directly interfering with the administration.
"The credibility of some national instruments require a recovery of perception and need improvements in line with the current world dynamics to restore confidence in the people."
Raja Nazrin said unity would not be achieved in an unstable and immature political climate post the 12th general election, with calls for reality checks and demands for change.
"Unity requires a willingness to sacrifice, accept defeat willingly and celebrate victory with humility," he added.
- Bernama
Of Raja Nazrin, Real Stories & Regal Rhetoric
Raja Petra has told us his “real story” to the above questions. It has something to do with your succession to the Perak throne and also to save the financial empire of one of members of your royal family. Is RPK’s story accurate? Will you tell us the “real story”?By Martin Jalleh
Your Royal Highness (YRH),
Recently, during a talk themed: “The role of Malay rulers in nurturing unity” held in Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in Shah Alam, YRH declared that “rulers should not be shielded from the truth and must be told the real story”.
May I, with due respect to YRH, tell you the truth that many of us (especially those who are sons and daughters of Perak) find it very hard to believe that you meant every word that you said during the talk. Some, in responding to the article highlighting your talk, have asked you to “walk the talk”!
Much as we would really like to consider what you had proclaimed as “rare wisdom” from a ruler and intellectual, very unfortunately, the tragic manner in which the Perak royal family handled the Perak Constitutional Crisis (PCC) reduces your speeches to mere “regal rhetoric”.
You were so very right when you said that “rulers should never be surrounded by people with personal interests who are willing to use them as tools”. If only the Perak royalty had displayed and determinedly demonstrated such astuteness during the PCC!
It was the public’s perception that His Royal Highness (HRH) Sultan Azlan Shah had allowed himself to be surrounded by the PM and his cohorts and to be used as a political tool. HRH also denied the ousted Perak MB Nizar Jamaluddin of an audience at a very crucial point.
By writing this open letter to you I run the risk of Umno or Perkasa members making police reports against me but I am confident enough that YRH will not allow these elements to make use of you, as they have so often and unashamedly done so, out of political expediency.
To confirm the hypocrisy of the Umno elite, you should consult your royal colleague and veteran Umno leader, Tengku Razaleigh, who during the height of the PCC strongly suggested that it is Umno who has harmed the Malay rulers more than anyone else!
In sharp contrast to your professed openness, Umno, through the Attorney-General’s (AG’s) Chambers has gone to extremes to do the opposite. Take for example the AG’s appeal against a High Court’s decision to acquit Karpal Singh of a charge of sedition against the Perak Sultan.
Unbelievably the DPP told the Court of Appeal that: “People have the legal right to take Sultans to court but to speak openly of it is seditious…as this would inflame the sentiments of laymen who did not have a good grasp of the law”!
Understandably, the AG and his Chambers are suspected of suffering from the inflammation of the brain, which in many respects is as bad as “yellow fever”.
Bitter & Brutal Truth
YRH, you stressed that: “Rulers should be willing to accept the fact, no matter how bitter, as justice could not be uphold without the truth”? Logically, you would need to be willing to accept the fact, no matter how bitter, that hardly anyone takes you seriously these days.
Public sentiments for HRH Sultan Azlan Shah are the same. Perakians had placed their hopes high on HRH – whom they had held in high regard. But he seemed to be swayed by Umno’s political subterfuge and scheming. Public perception of his impartiality plummeted thence after.
YRH so rightly pointed out that: "In all conflicts, no one party is right all the time and no one party is wrong all the time.” HRH Sultan Azlan Shah (a former Lord President though he was) was wrong in his personal discretion and his straying beyond his parameters of power during the PCC.
No one presented the brutal and bitter truth so honestly, clearly and professionally than respected retired judge N H Chan who bravely declared that HRH had “sidestepped” provisions of the Perak Constitution and made a “fatal error”.
YRH also very accurately pointed out in your talk that: "The credibility of some national instruments require recovery of perception and need improvement in line with current world dynamics to restore confidence in the people."
During and after the PCC, key democratic institutions were manipulated by the powers that be to contain, cripple and crush legitimate dissent. They degenerated to the point that the public no longer trusted them. This was especially true of the judiciary.
The judiciary sunk so low during the PPC, as to allow itself to be intimidated, its independence and impartiality interfered with, and its integrity reduced to ignominy. Today the reputation of the judiciary or whatever is left of it, has been sullied irreparably.
Very ironically on 31 Oct. 2007 I had in an Open Letter thanked HRH Sultan Azlan “for portraying the truth about the state of the country's judiciary and your accompanying clarion call for major reforms in the judiciary…”
I wrote: “Today, we have become a laughing stock. We are second to none when it comes to kangaroo courts and court jesters like the de facto Law Minister. The judgments of our courts are often quoted in political satire and online comic scripts.” Nothing has changed still then!
Just as the “credibility of some national instruments require recovery of perception and need improvement”, I am sure you will agree that the credibility of the royalty also requires recovering of perception and regaining public confidence!
Perhaps, YRH, this can only happen if the people are told the “real story”. Just as the rulers need to be given the true picture, the public also needs to hear the “real story” to make a wise and good decision in the next General Elections.
YRH, please tell us the “real story” on why was there such an undue and indecent haste by HRH to dismiss the leader of a popularly elected coalition? Why was there such an unholy haste to recognize and install and swear in a government against the expressed wishes of the people?
Raja Petra has told us his “real story” to the above questions. It has something to do with your succession to the Perak throne and also to save the financial empire of one of members of your royal family. Is RPK’s story accurate?
Will you tell us the “real story”?
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