Thursday August 6, 2009
Raja Nazrin: Respect the law
KUALA LUMPUR: “Democracy does not mean anything goes. It certainly does not mean mob rule,” Raja Muda of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah said.
He said in any functioning democracy, there were rules as to how society was to be governed, and in Malaysia, the rules were enshrined in the country’s constitution.
“Our constitution spells out not only what our rights are but also what the limits to those rights are,” he said in his speech at the 25th Tunku Abdul Rahman Lecture organised by the Malaysian Institute of Management here last night.
“These limits ensure that decisions are not made by those who wield the most power, shout the loudest or behave in the crudest manner.”
Raja Dr Nazrin said they would only become entrenched and lead to deep social lesions that would never heal.
He said the country had a good system of governance in place that had served it well and Malaysians should seek to improve on and strengthen this system.
Raja Dr Nazrin said that as Malaysians moved into the month when they celebrate the country’s 52nd year of independence, they should endeavour to restore a culture of civility and respect towards each other as they did 52 years ago.
He also touched on the situation in Perak and said he had to be careful of what he said as many issues were still before the courts.
“I nevertheless think I am not giving anything away when I say that what has transpired is something that is beyond unfortunate. It is a situation that must be resolved but resolved in accordance with the law.”
Raja Dr Nazrin added that the Malay Rulers were above partisan politics, and this was what a constitutional monarchy meant and what the Rulers assiduously believe.
He said the present situation in Perak stemmed from a political problem, that of political crossovers but was very quickly compounded by other decisions and actions of questionable legality.
In making the right decision in any situation and act in a manner that is fair and impartial, the Ruler must be guided by the constitution that encapsulates all the values that form the very foundation of Malaysian society.
In the Perak case, the Ruler adhered closely to the letter and spirit of the state constitution, he said. — Bernama
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