By the time you are reading this today, this issue may have likely blown up, because this is most likely going to be the biggest news in the news cycle today.
When I read the title I wrote, I was wondering whether it sounded too sensational or clickbait-ish, but when I reflect upon the issue, I feel it is justified, because when you hear about this news later today, that Tony Pua has thrown down the gauntlet to the Selangor Sultan is likely how this news is going to play out.
So what happened?
Well, let’s start from the beginning.
In January this year, the Sultan of Selangor had decreed that pig farming operations in Tanjung Sepat, Kuala Langat should be phased out and relocated to Bukit Tagar in Hulu Selangor.
But by February, the Sultan of Selangor had gone from decreeing that he didn't want pig farming in Tanjung Sepat to decreeing that he didn't want pig farming anywhere in the state of Selangor.
Now, as you might have been able to figure out yourself, the total banning of pig farming in Selangor was received with a heavy heart by the Chinese community, not only because pork is their dietary mainstay, but also because of its broader implications on their culture and community.
DAP, being the party that is the primary representative of the Chinese community, has therefore been called upon to work out some sort of compromise in the matter.
One of the compromises that DAP tried to work out was voiced by its Seri Kembangan assemblywoman Wong Siew Ki, who suggested in April that Selangor consider a modern “closed-house” pig farming system rather than a total ban.
What Wong suggested, however, was not well received by Malay nationalists and Malay political parties like PAS and UMNO, which accused DAP of challenging the Sultan’s decree.
When Wong came under attack, former DAP leader and ex-Selangor executive councillor Ronnie Liu stepped up to defend Wong and her suggestion.
Apart from defending Wong's suggestion, he also publicly questioned why senior DAP leaders were remaining quiet after the Sultan’s decree and did not intervene on behalf of affected pig farmers.
To make matters worse, while the kerfuffle was happening between DAP figures and the Sultan of Selangor, a doctored image of the Selangor Sultan, , was circulated online.
Although DAP figures harshly rebuked the posting of the doctored which featured a pig in royal ceremonial attire, its circulation likely escalated the kerfuffle further.
Just a couple of weeks ago, on the 7th of May to be precise, the Sultan of Selangor doubled down on what he decreed in February, by insisting that he didn't want pig farming anywhere in the state of Selangor.
After doubling down a couple of weeks ago, the Sultan also issued a statement yesterday, which was especially directed at Wong Siew Ki and Ronnie Liu.
In the statement, the Sultan of Selangor called upon all Selangor assemblymen to visit Dataran Selangor twice a month to read and understand the Rukun Negara displayed on a newly built monument plaque.
“I suggest that they come once a week to Dataran Selangor to understand and appreciate the meaning of the Rukun Negara, so that they become citizens who know how to respect the sovereignty of the royal institution and uphold courtesy and morality,” His Majesty said.
Just a few hours after the Sultan of Selangor had released his statement, yesterday evening, Tony Pua, who is the Chairman of the DAP Disciplinary Committee and policy adviser to DAP Secretary-General Anthony Loke, made a counter statement to that of the Sultan, by insisting that decrees issued by sultans have no place in the Constitution.
“Yes, I am loyal to King and Country, and will abide by the rule of law based on our Federal Constitution. Not decrees,” Pua said, in a remark that will almost certainly be construed as a direct challenge to the Sultan, other than as an act of solidarity with Wong Siew Ki and Ronnie Liu.
Tony’s statement was only issued late in the evening yesterday, so it will likely only hit the news cycle this morning.
So by the time you are reading this, this news will likely have blown up into a full-scale DAP vs the Sultan of Selangor issue, which will almost certainly dominate the news today, and perhaps even for the next few days.
Let’s see how the cookies crumble.
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