Give due respect to all institutions

Professor Tan Sri Dato' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
Letter - The Sun Daily
June 17 2018

THE Yang di-Pertuan Agong's address urging the rakyat to stay away from slander and uphold the royal institution is very much a welcome reminder especially in the spirit of Hari Raya.

The king is correct in asserting not to take lightly the institution, especially in view that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is a constitutional monarch, duly recognised in the Federal Constitution. It is more than just a national sovereign symbol representing all Malaysians.

An enlightened monarchy "has a great responsibility, especially in stabilising the situation during a crisis so as not to endanger the people and nation".

We are indeed gratified by such a frank and explicit reminder from the beloved king. The fact that he was dressed simply in a haji skullcap and plain jubah when delivering the ­address, speaks volumes of how his message was intended to touch the hearts of the ­rakyat as a way of identifying with them.

The converse is also crucial as we continue to see the unfolding allegations of corruption linked to the previous government. The rakyat is still reeling from how "irresponsible" it was, after being voted in, to squander their trust by pushing the nation to the brink of crises – economic, social, political and moral – for almost a decade. ?Rightly so, the rakyat responded decisively to unseat those leaders, and changed the government for the first time in 61 years.

This is ironic considering what could be learnt and perfected in implementing the Federal Constitution to uphold the trust of the rakyat instead.

But the opposite was done despite the warning – power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. At once giving credence to the counterpoint that the power of the people (rakyat) is greater than the people in power – when the latter (and allies) frivolously compromised their sacred commitment to the Federal Constitution.

At this juncture we are reminded of an old Malay(sian) wisdom: Raja adil raja disembah, raja zalim raja disanggah that conveys exactly the same sentiment.

First, it was a matter of adab long before the modern constitutional version. That is, rakyat is the de facto "king".

Second, it applies to all forms of leadership, from the most sublime and supreme (read dynastic) to the most ordinary and expected as fielded in GE14.

Lastly, it refers not just to the "position" but more to what is demonstrated and conveyed in thought, word and deed. All three must be aligned to reinforce a balanced way of life (sejahtera).

Dressing simply is therefore not good enough if that simplicity is lost as a skewed way of life. This is often where "leaders" are caught as in the famous satire – The Emperor's New Clothes, where "sight" does not translate into "insight" and courage to telling as it is. And to be followed by the appropriate action to bell the cat as it were.

This is unlike what was reported recently about a member of a European royal family who faces time in prison after being convicted of siphoning millions of euros from a sports foundation.

Pushed to a corner, the rakyat will respond according to the Federal Constitution; not only respecting an institution but also strengthening and protecting it by proactively curbing all manner of possible abuses and injustices. That is, not to take any institution lightly which otherwise could prove costly as we are beginning to discover. Simply put, all institutions must be respected by all Malaysians without fear or favour.