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Outgoing Agong wants govt stability, bigger role for future monarchs

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Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah advocates for a stronger role for future monarchs in representing Malaysia internationally.

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Free Malaysia Today
Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah will step down as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong tomorrow.

KUALA LUMPUR:
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, has called for government stability, warning that the country risked losing investors and falling behind its competitors due to prolonged political turmoil.

In a rare, wide-ranging interview with local and foreign media this month, Sultan Abdullah, who will step down from the throne on Tuesday, also proposed that future monarchs play a bigger role representing Malaysia in international affairs.

The monarchy plays a mostly ceremonial role in Malaysia and is largely seen as above politics.

But political instability during Sultan Abdullah’s reign has seen the monarchy’s influence grow, with the King wielding rarely used discretionary powers to appoint the country’s last three prime ministers.

The heads of Malaysia’s nine royal families take turns to be King every five years under a unique system of monarchy.

Sultan Abdullah, who ascended the throne in 2019, will return to lead his home state of Pahang, while Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar of Johor will be the next King, with the installation ceremony taking place on Wednesday.

In unusually frank remarks, Sultan Abdullah expressed disappointment with Malaysia’s warring political parties, saying that frequent changes in government administration and policies could jeopardise economic progress.

“Foreign investors want to see a country that’s stable, that they can invest in and maximise their returns quickly. If we are always changing governments, this will cause delays.

“We need to remain competitive, otherwise we will be left behind. We cannot afford to have an unstable government.”

Sultan Abdullah expressed hope that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration would last its full five-year term so that it can carry out much-needed reforms, including an overhaul of the country’s subsidy programme.

As part of a smaller spending plan for 2024, Anwar, who is also finance minister, has announced a shift away from blanket subsidies to a system that mainly aids lower-income groups.

Sultan Abdullah’s public comment that he hopes Malaysia will see a full-term government comes after Anwar’s administration this month accused several opposition and ruling bloc figures of a plot to topple the government.

Bigger role for King

A constitutional monarch, the King largely acts upon the advice of the prime minister and the Cabinet, but he does have some discretionary powers, including the authority to appoint a prime minister who he believes commands a parliamentary majority.

Sultan Abdullah has had to exercise the power three times to resolve political uncertainty, most recently in November 2022 when he appointed Anwar following a general election that ended in a hung Parliament.

Sultan Abdullah said the monarchy should be strengthened and proposed that the King represent Malaysia abroad in matters that do not conflict with government administration, such as climate change advocacy.

“We all try to act within the limits of the constitution. And the rulers must also know their roles, so that we can be closer to the people,” he said.

His incoming successor, Sultan Ibrahim, has also expressed a desire to be a more active monarch.

More outspoken than other rulers, Sultan Ibrahim has expansive business interests from mining to real estate, particularly in his home state of Johor.

He told Singapore’s The Straits Times in November that he plans to revive a stalled high-speed rail (HSR) link project between Malaysia and the city-state, with a border crossing through Forest City – a RM473.25 billion China-backed land reclamation and development project in which the Johor ruler has a stake.

He also proposed for national petroleum company Petronas and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to report directly to the King.

Anwar downplayed concerns over Sultan Ibrahim’s statements, saying that all opinions can be discussed but not while ignoring the federal constitution, Bernama reported.

As King, Sultan Ibrahim will also have the power to grant clemency to convicted offenders and could rule on an application by jailed former prime minister Najib Razak for a royal pardon.

Najib is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence after being found guilty of corruption linked to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal. He has consistently denied wrongdoing and remains a popular political figure.

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