So, in light of the JAIS fiasco over the raid on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church, the Menteri Besar has issued the most democratic order yet: the GAG ORDER. All State Executive Councillors as well as staff from JAIS have been barred from saying anything pertaining to the issue. The Menteri Besar is also said to want to hear what the Sultan of Selangor has to say.
If my memory serves me right, the current Menteri Besar of Selangor was never one who would listen to His Majesty the Sultan. Take for example the tussle over the appointment of Datuk Mohd Khusrin Munawi as the State Secretary. As a matter of fact, the Selangor State Government has also shown its disrespect to the Raja Permaisuri Agong by not attending the International Islamic Songs Festival held in Selangor that was graced and officiated by Her Majesty.
Barisan Nasional, too, has had its fair share of “not listening to the Sultan” when the Palace of Terengganu insisted on having the current Menteri Besar replacing the previous one. We know how that turned out. But Pakatan Rakyat seems more riddled with episodes of dissing the respective State’s Royal Institution:
1. Nizar Zakaria, the former MB of Perak, refused to heed to the Sultan’s call to vacate his post as the Menteri Besar after losing majority support in the Perak’s Dewan. In a press conference, Nizar was quoted to have said:
“Saya dengan rendah hati mohon derhaka dengan berkata kepada baginda ’patik sebagai MB dan pemimpin kerajaan, mohon tidak letak jawatan”
He requested to disobey the directive from His Majesty the Sultan. Anyway, Nizar still maintains the prefix “MB” in his Twitter ID, for reasons best known only to him.
2. V Sivakumar, the ADUN for Tronoh from the DAP, had to be forcibly removed from the Dewan. He also went against the Palace when, as the then-Speaker (or so he thought), he suspended and banned the new Menteri Besar and six state Excos from entering the Dewan.
3. Not to be outdone, also in Perak, the ADUN for Pantai Remis (again, from DAP), Nga Kor Ming, attended the Dewan sitting not dressed in the ceremonial dress WITH THE RAJA MUDA IN ATTENDANCE, while his cousin, Ngeh Koo Ham, the ADUN for Sitiawan (yet again from DAP) wore the ceremonial dress, but without the songkok.
4. In Johor, Boo Cheng Hau (DAP-Skudai) also did not don the songkok in the state’s Dewan, in the presence of the Sultan of Johor. Perhaps, wearing a songkok to him would be an insult to his race (since he is always harping on race issues).
5. Also in Johor, two years earlier, Gwee Tong Hiang (DAP-Bentayan), wore only a blue business suit to the Dewan’s sitting. However, the Speaker ordered him to do so, 15 minutes before the opening ceremony. Ong Kow Meng (DAP-Senai) also did the same.
6. Two years ago, during the 217th Malay Rulers Conference, the Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng (also from the DAP) did not don a songkok in the presence of His Majesty the King and His Royal Highnesses the Sultans, Raja and Yam DiPertuan Besar as well as His Excellencies the Governors of Sabah, Sarawak, Melaka and Pulau Pinang.
7. Most recently, DAP state excos in Sarawak did not don the songkok at the state Dewan sitting in the presence of His Excellency the Governor of Sarawak.
Therefore, since when has the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor state government started listening to what the Palace has to say?
SeaDemon Says 