Many Malays now angry with their Rulers, says Dr M - Free Malaysia Today
KUALA LUMPUR: A significant number of Malays in the country are now beginning to get angry at their Rulers, claims Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Speaking at a press conference outside Istana Negara today, the former prime minister said many Malays were coming forward to criticise their Rulers, as they were “suffering” due to the state of emergency.
“It is unusual for Malays (to go against their own Rulers) but such is the feeling now on the ground,” he said.
Mahathir also claimed that the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration was not informing the King on how the Malays felt.
He added that the government was taking advantage of its extraordinary powers under the emergency ordinance, by making it appear to be on the instructions of the King.
“We know that all actions (under the ordinance) are being taken by the government, or Muhyiddin Yassin, but in the name of the King.
“Any criticism of this would then be considered sedition,” said Mahathir.
The Langkawi MP and Tamat Darurat committee chairman Khalid Samad had arrived at the palace around 3pm to hand over a memorandum requesting for an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The aim of the meeting is to inform the Agong on the negative impacts of the emergency and the need to call it off for the sake of the people.
Others in the group were Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, Pejuang president Mukhriz Mahathir, PKR’s Tian Chua and Fahmi Fadzil as well as DAP’s Hannah Yeoh, Lim Lip Eng and Teresa Kok.
According to Mahathir, they were only able to meet with the King’s private secretary.
He also quipped: “Before, even when I was not prime minister, I came by the front door (of the palace), but now I have to come by the back door.”
This is the second time that the Tamat Darurat committee has requested for an audience with the King. The last attempt was on March 26, where they did not receive a reply from palace officials.
The committee had launched an online petition last month to submit evidence of the people’s dissatisfaction to the King.
Khalid said they were confident that the King would consider their request this time round.
He said the negative impacts of the emergency proclamation were “more evident by the day”, adding that it had affected the economy, foreign investment and political stability.
“We are asking for the emergency to end and for Parliament to reconvene,” he said, adding that if the committee failed to receive a reply in over a month’s time, a third memorandum would be sent to the palace.
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