KUALA LUMPUR: DAP member Datuk Zaid Ibrahim’s insolent remarks against the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has been described as “utterly disgraceful” and has reflected himself as a “Malay who has forgotten about the nation’s history”.
The Orang Besar Sepang, Tengku Datuk Prof Dr Jamaluddin Tengku Mahmud Shah Al-Haj in a statement reminded Zaid that the constitutional monarchy had three legitimate mandates to implement checks and balances.
“They have the mandate to advice and voice opinions, encourage and support, as well as to remind and reprimand.
“The Royal Institution is not just to fulfil historical and sentimental value, and the perception that the constitutional monarchy only acts as a symbol without any authority, is also one which needs to be corrected,” said Tengku Jamaluddin, who is also the adviser to Sepang Malay Bugis Association.
He said Zaid must apologise to the Sultan, as the ruler was only employing his mandate to advise openly on the matter of public interest.
“I would also like to issue a stern reminder for all politicians to never utter words that could instigate and provoke the people, which could lead to tarnishing the royal institution.”
Tengku Jamaluddin said the remarks by Zaid, who is a lawyer and a Malay politician who had served as a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, was “rude and mirrored his inferior knowledge on Malay identity.”
“He needs to be ethical in his actions. Has he forgotten that all of his successes today were due to the sacrifices made by the royals, to ensure that the people were given the rights to educate themselves?
“The act of ‘starting a fire’ is very dangerous and could destroy the nation and its harmony.”
On Dec 4, Zaid came under fire when he tweeted: “When some Rulers play politics they must know the consequences. Don’t think there is no price for partisanship” and “Sultan Selangor should be careful with his words. No one is immune when country burns”.
Zaid included a link to a news article in his post in which the Sultan of Selangor is quoted as saying that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is also Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chairman “will burn the whole country with his anger”.
The Sultan had said this in an interview with an English daily when asked on Dr Mahathir’s remarks against the Bugis community, in which the elder politician had allegedly compared them to pirates, in his speech during a small opposition rally in Petaling Jaya last month.