Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah has urged lawmakers to cease politicking and expressed his wish for the continuation of the current administration in order to realise the goal of making Malaysia a high-income nation.
In his opening address at this year’s Parliament session, he said differing views should be appreciated, instead of slandering and attempting to topple each other.
“Once again, I call upon all the honourable members to be united and to love this country. Give your undivided loyalty, defend and protect the country.
“I hope all the honourable members will stop politicking for narrow interests as the prolonged (politicking) has exhausted the people and government,” he said.
“Be a good example to the people by working together to come out with views that are beneficial to the harmony of the people and the prosperity of the country.
“In a parliamentary democracy, we may have different views. Celebrate the space (the difference), not topple, slander and foster enmity with each other, which can lead to the downfall of the nation,” he added.
The Agong also reminded the people to maintain harmony and uphold peace.
“Attempts to incite racial sentiment and abuse social media by spreading seditious and slanderous remarks and extremist ideologies should be contained immediately….
He also hoped that all efforts to strengthen religious institutions and enhance the administration of Islamic laws by empowering the Syariah Court would be realised.
All due respect to the Agong, because it is not he, but the Prime Minister, who writes the speech he must give at the opening of Parliament.
At which point these seemingly ludicrous remarks all make sense.
After all, why elect politicians at all, if you are urging them not to engage in politics? The job of parliamentarians is to hold the government of the day accountable and to give it a rough time if it fails or neglects in its duties and if necessary to change that government if they see fit.
That is what people elect them to do for the period of an electoral term. People do not directly elect a Prime Minister in the Westminster model (as they do a US President) although convention dictates that the leader of the biggest party is expected under normal circumstances to become Prime Minister. MPs are therefore perfectly at liberty to re-align if the present executive no longer appeals to the majority of them – hopefully for honourable reasons rather than graft.
It is therefore nonsense for Najib to keep claiming he was elected personally for a full term and that it is ‘unconstitutional’ for anyone to seek to remove him if he cocks up the job. He should have a chat with Tony Blair, who was himself kicked out or consider the fate of Margaret Thatcher, likewise removed.
It is the absolute duty of parliamentarians to pressure the removal of Prime Ministers who have lost confidence. So if Najib wants them to stop politicking he should admit that what he really wants is to abolish Parliament altogether, for obvious the reason that his retirement looks far less likely to be as smooth and comfortable as that of Messrs Blair and Thatcher, given the history of his own actions.
So, telling politicians to stop politicking is like telling writers in social media not to express their opinions – only people on the defensive demand it.
Najib now thinks he can hide behind religion, but likewise it doesn’t cut when you say one thing and are caught doing the opposite time and again.