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MELAKA: Respect for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's constitutional authority must be demonstrated through actions and not merely words, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong amid issues over the implementation of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's conditional pardon.
The MCA president said the Federal Constitution and the royal prerogative must be upheld through actions consistent with those principles.
"His Majesty has made it abundantly clear that the Conditional Pardon Order is explicit, unambiguous, and that all stipulated conditions have been fulfilled.
"His Majesty has also reaffirmed that the exercise of the royal prerogative under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution must be respected," he said in a statement Saturday (Nov 7).
Wee said an important fact that should not be overlooked was that the Attorney General had attended the Pardons Board meeting on Sept 18, together with the Federal Territories Minister, and provided the appropriate advice to the King.
He said the relevant authorities had a responsibility to ensure the decision was respected and implemented in accordance with the law, as it was made under the constitutional powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong following advice at the meeting.
"Any legal questions concerning its implementation should be clarified expeditiously through the appropriate legal channels, rather than becoming grounds for indefinite delays in its execution," he said.
Wee said whether one agreed or disagreed with the decision was a matter of personal opinion, but respect for the constitutional position of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the institution of constitutional monarchy was not.
"It is a fundamental constitutional principle that everyone must uphold.
"We cannot, on the one hand, proclaim our respect for the royal institution and our commitment to defending the Constitution, while on the other hand, act in ways that contradict those very principles," he said.
He added that respect for the rule of law and the constitutional authority of the King were not mutually exclusive.
"True respect is not measured by how loudly we proclaim our loyalty, but by whether our actions consistently uphold the constitutional authority of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the dignity of our constitutional monarchy," he said.
Wee's statement came after Istana Negara said on Saturday that the conditional pardon allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest was clear and unambiguous, with all stipulated conditions fulfilled.
The palace also said the Attorney General and Federal Territories Minister had attended the Sept 18 Pardons Board meeting and provided the necessary advice to the King.
The Attorney General's Chambers (AGC), however, had called for Najib's transfer to house arrest to be temporarily deferred pending clarification of legal questions concerning the conditional pardon and the effect of a subsequent High Court discharge order.
The AGC said the deferment was not intended to challenge or set aside the King's decree, but to ensure that the royal order and related court orders were implemented accurately and in accordance with the law. -THE STAR
