'If Malays who questioned the special rights are traitors, what do we call those Malay leaders who manipulated the rights to enrich themselves?'

Sultan: Malays who question special rights are traitors

Anonymous: Disunity is not the only factor that contributed to the fall of the Islamic empire. When Muslims are just Muslims by name, and not reflected in their daily lives in their interactions with man and with Allah, when Islam is just a formal ‘religion', no longer a way of life; these are the signs that we should be looking for when talking about the decline of the Muslim ‘ummah'.

Who among the royal households that can seriously be taken as an example of practicing, righteous Muslims? That the Muslim Malays can look up to? The Malay rulers are the protectors of Islam as enshrined in the constitution, do we really understand what this really mean?

Islam calls for justice, equality, respect, treat everyone the way you want to be treated, and most of all Islam is against ‘asabiyah', which is racism. So if you are protecting Islam, you should stay as far away as you can from ‘asabiyah' as this is one of the diseases that will bring Islam down, and with it the Malay Muslims. Allahu'alam .

Tailek: Non-Malays and our more enlightened Malay brethren are not questioning and have never questioned this special position nor the paramount position of Islam as the official religion of Malaysia.

Rather we are questioning the misinterpretation of Article 153 by Umno and their sidekicks like Perkasa to serve their own agenda. We are questioning the antiquated concept of ‘ketuanan Melayu' which has no place in a modern democratic society.

Their Royal Highnesses are duty bound under the constitution to protect the legitimate interests of the other races as well. Power to ‘ketuanan rakyat'.

Ronin: If Malays who questioned the special rights are traitors, what do we call those Malay leaders who manipulated the rights to enriched themselves?

Pemerhati: Most of the royalty in Malaysia are beholden to BN because they have done something wrong and could be punished by the authorities or they want some favours or contracts.

We know of a sultan who lost several millions at a casino overseas and was bailed out by the BN government. Recently, we read of the problems of a hospital contract given to the close relation of another sultan. This sultan now makes statements which are somewhat critical of Pakatan Rakyat and are designed to make Najib Razak happy.

In the case of the Perak sultan, his almost Perkasa-like statements suggest that he is going all out to endear himself to Najib. It could be because he is eyeing some very big negotiated contracts for Gamuda, in which his family has a big stake, and hoping for Najib's help in ensuring the normal succession plan is not followed and thus his son, Nazrin, succeeds him.

Ruben: I don't understand! Who is questioning Malay rights and the Malay rulers? These statements seem only to come out from Umno and some sultans. No one else. We have the utmost respect for our Agong and our sultans. Also, I remember reciting the Rukunnegara by heart in my school days and I still believe in it.

I also believe the special rights of the rulers, the Malays and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak are firmly entrenched in the constitution. So why this controversy? I also believe that the rulers are rulers over all subjects in their states and that includes all Malaysians.

Chipmunk: The constitution was drafted on the basis of a report from the Reid Commission. The commission, which had been formed to lay the groundwork for a constitution in the run-up to Malaysia's pending independence, released the report in 1957 as the Report of the Federation of Malaya Constitutional Commission 1957 or The Reid Commission Report.

The Reid Commission reported that Tunku Abdul Rahman and the Malay rulers had asked that "in an independent Malaya, all nationals should be accorded equal rights, privileges and opportunities and there must not be discrimination on grounds of race and creed."

He also stated that "For those who love and feel they owe undivided loyalty to this country, we will welcome them as Malayans. They must truly be Malayans, and they will have the same rights and privileges as the Malays."

Budak: How about Dr Mahathir Mohamad who ‘stripped' Raja-Raja Melayu of their immunity and privileges? After which, it was ‘chop and signed' by Sultan Azlan Shah. Is he considered a traitor as well?

Rick Teo: There was a time when I held the sultan of Perak with highest esteem. That was when he served as Lord President. His meteoric rise in the judiciary to hold the highest office was most deserving and I used to enjoy reading his judgment especially when he convicted former Selangor MB Harun Idris.

But after becoming the sultan of Perak, he is a changed man. What he utters now is bordering on racism and his concept of Malay rights and supremacy is against all tenets of Islam because Islam does not discriminate against races.

I am really surprise how material wealth, power and position can totally change the gentle and respected demeanor of a once great personality.

Multi Racial: As rulers or sultans, they need to stay above politic and race. They should be the catalyst of unity and not the other way around. They need to earn respect from the people and not to demand it from them.

As someone rightly said, without the people, there is no sultan. The sultan should be the protector of the rakyat. So we look forward to the sultan's neutrality and that he stays above politics and race.

Geronimo: Goodness, Malays who question special rights are traitors? Then what do you call the Malays who allow the invasion of our country by the thousands of illegal immigrants as in the case of Sabah. If this was not bad enough, they were issued with MyKads too.

What do you call the Malays who remove the immunity and powers of the royalties? What do you call the Malays who called the royalties "binatang"? Do you consider them loyal subjects?

Comparing the "questioning of the special rights" and putting our country at risk with the invasion of foreigners, it is quite plain where the truth lies. I hope I will wake up from the nightmare soon.

Dood: Well, I'd say humans who practise or defend racism are traitors to the race too.

AG, next on your list should be Taib Mahmud

Chandran Sukumaran: There are many many other sharks who need to be brought to justice. This is a good start and congratulations to MACC. But just by charging is not good enough. The rakyat want see them punished.

If BN wants to regain prestige and respect, they should put many of these crooks behind bars and all their ill-gotten wealth confiscated. We want to see Sarawak CM Abdul Taib Mahmud, former MAS chief Tajudin Ramli, lawyer VK Lingam, ex-MIC chief S Samy Vellu and ex-MCA chief Ling Liong Sik, to name a few, to be punished for their wrongdoings.

The list can run into hundreds, if not thousands. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know how much they may have swindled taxpayers' money. The man on the street is also aware that they are being protected. No action has been taken so far. Until then it will be perceived to be an election gimmick.

OneFair: Both Ling and Khir Toyo are irrelevant in politics and they being charged is a ploy meant to fish for votes in the coming general election.

The ones that are still in office, who can make the difference in BN by getting votes, are not investigated and will not be charged. If the PM really wants to be sincere, then he should charge some senior ministers, MBs and well-known BN political figures such as Samy Vellu, Taib Mahmud and at least a dozen other prominent figures.

Motonggotah: I will circumcise myself for the second time if the government under BN can convict both of them (Khir Toyo and Taib Mahmud).

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