With the opposition’s hopes of a quick return to Putrajaya literally dissipating with each passing day, thanks partly to the anti-hopping law, perhaps the last thing they would have wanted to hear was a call by the incoming no-nonsense Agong, Sultan Ibrahim, not to disrupt the political stability in the country; and to give PM Anwar’s Madani government the space to fulfill its mandate.
Interestingly, under Malaysia’s constitutional monarchy system of government, the Rulers generally remain “above politics”, but there have been times, recently, when they have been called upon, out of necessity, to resolve potentially crippling political deadlocks; the most notable one was, of course, the events following the shadowy ‘Sheraton Move’ which saw the collapse of the democratically-elected Pakatan Harapan government in early 2020.
In fact, according to a recent report in the Malay Mail, Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim has urged all Malaysians to give Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim the chance to prove himself; this is because it was not possible for the prime minister to make changes within a year.
In his own inimitable style, the popular Ruler went on to say that he will support the government, but that if he thinks they are doing something improper, then he will point it out to them; he added that PM Anwar cannot transform the country in one year while acknowledging that the Madani government possessed good ministers like its transport minister Anthony Loke.
Sultan Ibrahim had also voiced his optimism that he did not foresee any problems working with PM Anwar as he had shared a close relationship with the prime minister while saying that the latter has called him sometimes to seek advice - even at midnight!
Meanwhile, according to an earlier report in CNA, several political observers have highlighted that the new Agong, who will be ascending the throne on 31 January, 2024, has shown his willingness to express his thoughts on issues close to the heart of Malaysians.
Incidentally, analyst Dr Azmi Hassan of the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research had cited how during a media interview, Sultan Ibrahim had lauded PM Anwar’s anti-graft reforms and spoken positively of his relationship with the Pakatan Harapan chief; in fact the Ruler had also reportedly said that they have worked very well together, even better than any other previous prime ministers.
Furthermore, according to Dr Azmi, it was clear that Sultan Ibrahim has confidence in PM Anwar’s leadership in helming the federal government and that he was a prime minister that His Majesty was keen to work with.
Dr Azmi also elaborated that having a Ruler who is willing to speak on behalf of the people, and a leader like PM Anwar who has shown that “he is keen to listen” are signs of “a strong partnership” which can only be good for the country.
Indeed, since coming to power PM Anwar has responded positively to issues raised by the Ruler, including addressing the living condition problem in low cost housing projects in Johor as well as loosening the restrictions for ‘MM2H’ so that more foreigners can purchase homes in Malaysia, potentially increasing the inflow of investments into the country.
Sultan Ibrahim had also expressed his opinion on the political instability in the country; in fact, last April, amid reports of attempts by the opposition Perikatan Nasional to remove Anwar from his position by wooing Barisan Nasional MPs who did not support him, the Ruler had released a statement saying that these attempts were not healthy for the entire nation, whether socially, economically or even its position internationally.
The Ruler had also stressed that the country's economy must recover and its prosperity must be prioritised; that perhaps, in a nutshell, is a veiled reminder not only to Anwar - but also a warning to the opposition - to put the nation and its people first, before their own interests.
Primary Source: The Malay Mail and CNA
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