‘Rulers just exercising their rights’ - The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The recent show of power by the palace in Perak and Terengganu should not be seen as an intervention, as long as the provisions in the constitution are observed, panellists in a forum said.

The forum entitled Interventionist Monarchs: A Complement or A Challenge to Democracy? saw five speakers citing the incident of the appointments of Mentris Besar in the two states as examples to debate the role of the monarch.

PAS think-tank head Dr Dzulkifli Ahmad said in the recent incidents in the two states, the rulers were merely exercising their rights and using their prerogatives.

He said it was not wrong for the monarch to intervene if the role was provided for by the constitution.

“The significance of the (March 8) general election is the empowerment of the monarch. They have realised that they too had been marginalised. Now they are out to assume their role,” he said.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/4/nation/20841468&sec=nation]