PETALING JAYA • Malaysia's national palace Istana Negara has dismissed as misleading the editorial "The Guardian view on a royal coup: A king overturns historic election", published by British daily The Guardian.
Comptroller of the Royal Household Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, who said he was appalled by the article, said it presented a distorted account of the process by which the Malaysian King appointed a new prime minister.
The Guardian, in an editorial last Tuesday - two days after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was sworn in by Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin, who judged that the politician has support from the majority of MPs - concluded: "A king has overturned a democratic election result that challenged a corrupt old order. This is wrong and the world ought to call it out."
Datuk Ahmad said in a statement yesterday: "As the Comptroller of the Royal Household of Istana Negara, I am appalled by the level of inaccuracy and misleading tone of this editorial by a renowned UK-based media outlet, particularly given the fact that the subject matter, Malaysia's parliamentary democracy, is based on the Westminster system."
He explained the actual process, by stating that the King is bound by Article 43 of the federal Constitution to select and appoint a prime minister following the resignation of the previous prime minister and his Cabinet.
This was why when previous premier Mahathir Mohamad informed Sultan Abdullah on Feb 24 that he no longer enjoyed the confidence of a majority of the members of the federal Parliament and then resigned, the King was obligated by Article 40(2)(a) of the federal Constitution to exercise his discretion in appointing the next prime minister.
"He is also obligated by Article 43 (2)(a) of the federal Constitution to appoint as prime minister a member of the House who, in his judgment, is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House," said Mr Ahmad.
In the process of choosing the next premier, the official said, Istana Negara went above and beyond its call of obligation by meeting all the MPs and the leaders of the various political parties, prior to the King arriving at any conclusion.
"It was only after this rigorous and open process of consultation, fully in accordance with the federal Constitution, that His Majesty exercised his discretion under the federal Constitution to appoint a new prime minister.
"Hence, by no means can this process be regarded as a 'royal coup' as questionably asserted by The Guardian, which has employed a highly partisan slant in its editorial," said Mr Ahmad.
He also conveyed his thanks to all Malaysians for their quick response to the article, adding that the unequivocal support has encouraged Istana Negara to work harder in discharging its duties.
"I also take pride in the excellent initiatives taken by Malaysians of all races and political affiliations, including senior politicians and MPs, who responded directly to The Guardian."
THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
