A Constitutional Question

• 3 June 2018
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As usual the former colonial rulers, the British, are to blame. Having done a series of deals with the Malay rulers they found in place when taking over Malaya they did a final one when abandoning their authority to the new Malaya, later Malaysia.

Influenced perhaps by their home status as a monarchy they agreed that the new Malaya would also be a constitutional monarchy; of sorts. Unable to choose from the field they devised a system of rotating monarchs; five years at a time. It may have served as a means to avoid choosing a head of State from among a rather contentious field but it was always going to be a time bomb waiting to explode.

Now, it appears, the count down may be near complete and, of all things, over whether a notorious Malay crook, one Apandi, should be succeeded as Attorney General by a highly qualified non Malay, Malaysian lawyer. That is what the new PH government want and have said so to the Agong.

The latter, possibly supported by some of his fellow Rulers, won’t use his constitutional power to appoint the nominee because he is not a Malay. Anyone with an ounce of common sense and a knowledge of recent past events would know that the incumbent AG is a disgrace both to his profession and his community. The power to appoint and summarily dismiss Attorneys General is vested in the Agong by the Constitution BUT it is specific that he appoints the person recommended by the Prime Minister.

The PM has made his nomination and the Agong has NO choice but to appoint OR, if he prefers, to abandon his sovereign position to the next in line. All Malaysians have to hope that the Agong will not precipitate a constitutional crisis which he cannot win and which might fatally damage the whole position of the Rulers. Past and present Agongs have not seen fit to use their power to remove the notorious crook Apandi, partly because the latter was supported by the even more notorious crook Najib Razak. The latter is on his way to a well deserved rest in Sg. Buloh and, when properly investigated, is likely to be followed by Apandi.

No sensible Ruler will wish to involve himself and his Office in an unseemly squabble with a Malay Prime Minister. A squabble he cannot win and which may undo more than his reputation for common sense.