|
Mr Abdullah on Sunday declared the palace's appointment of the chief minister unconstitutional, sparking a rare showdown with the nation's royal rulers. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
|
KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S prime minister said on Tuesday he will meet with the nation's king to resolve their tussle over the appointment of a chief minister in northern Terengganu state.
The ruling coalition led by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) retained control of Terengganu in recent elections but incumbent chief minister Idris Jusoh was overlooked by the state palace, which appointed another UMNO figure.
'I will certainly be meeting with the Tuanku (king),' Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told a press conference.
'There are people who are exploiting this situation for their own means, for their own objectives, bringing about a lot of confusion into this matter,' he said.
Under Malaysia's rotating monarchy, the Sultan of Terengganu is currently serving as king and the state's affairs are formally handled by a Regency Advisory Council.
Mr Abdullah on Sunday declared the palace's appointment of the chief minister unconstitutional, sparking a rare showdown with the nation's royal rulers.
UMNO maverick Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, a former finance minister and a member of the royal family of Kelantan state who is challenging Mr Abdullah for the leadership, said the palace had acted within its powers.
'Petitions, threats, coercion and declarations of support for the prime minister and his candidate have no bearing on the legality of the Sultan of Terengganu's appointment of his own (chief minister),' he said in a statement.
'Perhaps we have forgotten what it is like to conduct ourselves with good manners and due respect for the constitution and the sovereignty of the ruler.'
Analysts say the clash is a symptom of Mr Abdullah's weakened position after leading the Barisan Nasional coalition to its worst ever election results.
The March 8 polls, which left the opposition with control of five states and a third of parliamentary seats, triggered tussles with royals in other states but appointees there had the support of the majority of lawmakers.
The major opposition party Keadilan said on Tuesday that royal rulers should not obstruct the appointment of a chief minister who had majority support, unless there were other factors which should be publicly disclosed.
'In a democracy, the voice of the people and the majority of the elected members of the state assembly must be respected, irrespective of who and which party possesses the majority,' said deputy president Syed Husin Ali.
However underscoring the discord, another member of the opposition alliance, the Islamic party PAS, said the palace's decision should be respected.
'Let's not criticise the royal institution and create a situation that will spark trouble,' PAS youth chief Salahuddin Ayub told reporters. -- AFP
|
