Daulat Tuanku!!!

I am inclined to agree with this judging from the active role and actual executive powers of the American President in foreign affairs and conduct of wars.

As a matter of interest however, article 41 of the Federal Constitution does stipulate that The Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall be the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Federation. In the Commonwealth Realms, the head of state whether the Queen (as in England), Governor-General as in Australia or Yang Di Pertuan Agong as in Malaysia would, I imagine, be ordinarily – titlewise – be the Commander-in-Chief of armed forces, though executive powers and actual direction of military affairs will repose with the Prime Ministers & cabinets.

Hmmm…I never thought of it that way! Naive me.

“This is seditious statement (if untrue) saying that the soldiers obeying their Commander-in-Chief (The Agong) would be prepared to take on the government’s police…” Jeffrey

First, I don’t think the Agong is the Commander-in-Chief like the President of the United States is Commander-in-Chief of the military.

Secondly, RPK is fast turning into a spin master – if he wasn’t one to begin with. He doesn’t think his readers read his comments and regard them as gospel truth in any case. I read his comments as entertainment with some truth to it. That’s how I approach Malaysia-Today. His is not exactly a political blog with an ideology, and certainly not news worthy – more gossip than news, what he claims to know from the grapevine.

But for anybody to suggest however mildly and perhaps obliquely that the Royal Malay were there to shoot at unarmed Malays (who made up the majority of the demonstrators), old men, women and children, and who were not rioting and destroying government property must be thinking of meeting up with Alice in the Wonderland – and I don’t mean you, Jeffrey.

If I have to choose whom to believe between RPK and this BN government, I will have no hesitation in choosing the former. If it is proven that there is no truth at all in his latest article, I can accept the fact that RPK has lied and I’ll be more careful next time of anything he says. On the other hand, I have lost count of how many times this BN government has lied to us through the mainstream media. I will not make a fool of myself by putting any faith in this BN government.

If not for existence of Lingam tape, it will be almost impossible for many of us to believe that a lawyer and a business tycoon are capable of fixing the appointment of the highest post in the judicial.

Let’s set aside what emotionally we wish to be the case, which may cloud our judgment, but look at the situation as it is:

First of all, would Datuk Wan Mohd Safian Wan Hasan, even if assuming one believes RPK as a “ glorified chamber maid planted by the government in the Palace as an enemy in the blanket” dare to issue a press statement that the King ostensibly disapproves and has not supported the Bersih March by reason of its illegality and threat to public order, when the King has not said or meant it? Such an act tantamount to causing a deliberate rift between the King and the Rakyat is straightaway seditious punishable as an offence.

Secondly, if one says that there is no way this ‘chambermaid’ would be made to account for a seditious statement because he had the support of the government which planted him in the Palace as an enemy in the blanket in the first place, then one has to ask the further question as to what happens to the government’s image and credibility if it does not take action against Wan Mohd Safian Wan Hasan for sedition when the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has made another subsequent statement that Datuk Wan Mohd Safian Wan Hasan’s earlier statement on his behalf is a misrepresentation and false? This simply implies that the government is prepared to stoop to the level to put words into the King’s mouth that he never said through its agent – which will be a matter for another public demand for a Royal Commission to look into the government’s action!

Thirdly if one argues that this government does not care at all its image and credibility in this respect, then is it consistent with the fact that when pressured by the disclosure of the Lingam video clip relating to judicial fixing, it has tries to salvage the image – first by forming the wishy washy Haidar Commission, and when that does not satisfy civil society and the public leading to the Bersih march, the government has agreed to now form the Royal Commission to enquire into the Lingam tape?

Fourthly, what are the chances that RPK’s allegations that Datuk Wan Mohd Safian Wan Hasan is a ‘chambermaid’ acting for the government are true – and not a spin – when he also dares to allege that the Royal Malay Regiment from Sungai Petani were parked at the Sungai Buloh military camp, ready to roll at a minute’s notice to take on the government’s police and FRU if they hurt the demonstrators in the process of breaking up the demonstrations? What he said if true tantamount to something akin to a potential military coup against civilian government : do you seriously believe that if there were such a thing, the government would not have by now rallied the other factions in the army, navy and arm forces to remove the commander of the Royal Malay Regiment from Sungai Petani who nearly, had circumstances turned ugly, ordered his men to act against the government and its police and FRUs?

If one believes the commander is so emboldened to do such an act – which is treason against government of the day – then one must equally believe that the King backed by rulers back this commander because the Royalty and rulers are prepared to sack the present government. If this were the case, there are easier means since it was RPK who researched article 40 of the Constitution and said that the King could, constitutionally (without implicating an army coup) dismiss the Prime Minister based on his personal discretion that he leades a half past six government not commanding majority rakyat’s confidence.

Since when, I may ask, is our King, with the benefit of constitutional advice from learned rulers like Sultan of Perak, has shown that he is prepared to view his role as a “constitutional” monarch (as opposed to an “absolute monarch”) under the constitution (based on sovereignty of the people expressed though election) as encompassing a politically active partisan role of siding opposition to take on and sack the head of government whom, from the last election, ostensibly control 90% of seats in parliament?

If there were really such a deep rift between Rulers and the government – as the RPK paints it – with the Rulers’ backing the Opposition/Rakyat and in turn being backed by certain factions of military, would you not think that the government would not have already tried to impose a state of emergency by now?

We expect Anwar led opposition to be responsible and not capitalizing on RPK’s line of delusory thinking to plant the seeds of hope in sections of the rakyat disaffected with the government in order to mobilize them “reformasi” style to take to the streets with their children to challenge the government on the premise that Rulers and certain sections of Army are on the peoples’ side when this is all not true!

I am not siding the government but at the same time we should see things as they are. As Rakyat we should not be manipulated by falsehoods whether by those in power or those who seek to replace them.

Like it or not, we have a situation where DSAI revealed the video clip that set the momentum to the Bersih march which has every characteristic of revival of “people’s power” Reformasi demonstrations ala neighbouring countries (Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand) style to depose the governments that their detractors could not otherwise could not do so via constitutional and legal avenues of ballot box that the governments had manipulated in their favour.

From day one everything is part of a grand scheme falling to place of a man (whose chances of returning to UMNO are minimal if not zero) mobilizing everyone towards the goal of deposing the government if necessary by extra constitutional means of street demonstrations to realise his life’s goal of becoming the PM.

I have no quarrel with this nor the argument that the government should re-invent or perish but the Opposition should do it the right way and not via dissemination of untruths or half truths of Royalty and army support for purposes of mobilization, nevermind whether it is seditious or treasonable by law and intent to cause rifts that are not existent, risking peoples safety and lives in their confrontation with the might of the organised government!

You cannot rail and condemn the other side for abuse of propaganda when you’re no better, taking rakyat to be easily manipulated!

Yes I agree, I think a coup is unavoidable.

He (RPK) had said many things, some of those he said were almost unbelievable at last proven to be true or at least carry some truths. As for his latest article in the corridors of power, lets give him the benefits of the doubt. If Agong really denounced the Bersih rally, it is just fair we hear it uttered from his mouth, however it is unlikely. I am with kanthanboy – “I am more inclined to believe that the statement issued by Datuk Wan Mohd Safian Wan Hasan is not from the King himself. It is a statement representing the view of the government.”

If RPK is lying in his latest article, the end is near for him.

This is a con to lull the public into complacency for the next GE.

“He must be thinking that we’re all bloody idiots to believe this spin as if they could make a statement misrepresenting the King’s views and the King who is still around is not going to contradict that!…”….. Jeffrey

This is getting seriouser and seriouser.

What if there is even a whiff of truth in the RMR positioning of ‘x’ number of armoured vehicles to Sg Buloh?

With the intransigent govt digging its heels in (seemingly at all costs), would anybody really believe that change will come without a heavy price to pay, in the form of civilian casualty and damage sometime in the not-too-distant yet not-unforeseeable future?

With the govt’s back to the wall, and the rakyat having no hope of having their voices heard, and no channel to express that frustration, the stresses will have nearly reached the limit. Something will have to give, very soon. *SNAP* and all hell will break loose.

“He must be thinking that we’re all bloody idiots to believe this spin as if they could make a statement misrepresenting the King’s views and the King who is still around is not going to contradict that!…”Jeffrey

I am more inclined to believe that the statement issued by Datuk Wan Mohd Safian Wan Hasan is not from the King himself. It is a statement representing the view of the government. Do you expect the King to be personally present at a press conference to contradict the statement issued by a government servant who has the blessing of the PM? If the king does that, he will be accused of actively involved in supporting the assembly.

The short answer to that is “Yes”.

All the above persons will be excellent members of the RCI. Besides, I think Sultan Azlan Shah is the most qualified person to be the chairman. Is there any legal constraint for the Sultan to be appointed as chair of the RCI?

So its about ONE issue only, nothing more. So whats there to celebrate when the Judiciary’s going to continue to flounder?

And because its about the Lingam tape alone, the personalities appointed are just going to be another panel of perhaps three people, maybe the same three panel members but this time under a RCI name. And again with restricted focus and no reform. That’s my take. No major shake-up.

So lets wait for it to be comfirmed.

I think RPK should re-name his blog to “The Spin Stops Here”.

He (RPK) did not say Royal Malay Regiment would open fire at unarmed fellow Malays. He insinuated that the Royal Malay Regiment were there to protect the unarmed rakyat meaning they would fire at the police instead if necessary.

He said the Regiment “had earlier arrived from Sungai Petani and were parked at the Sungai Buloh military camp, ready to roll at a minute’s notice. It would take them ten or fifteen minutes to arrive at the scene of any violence against the rakyat. Panic buttons were pressed and alarm bells rung. This had happened once on 13 May 1969 in Kampong Baru. The Royal Malay Regiment is not one to mess around with. The Agong is their Commander-in-Chief and soldiers are trained to obey their Commander-in-Chief at no consequence to their own lives”.

This is seditious statement (if untrue) saying that the soldiers obeying their Commander-in-Chief (The Agong) would be prepared to take on the government’s police over the Bersih demonstrators (insinuation that the King supported demonstrators) when the King has just issued a statement (reported in Malaysiakini) that the King did not support the illegal street demonstration last week end.

RPK then said that oh that statement against Bersih was not really made by the King but by some “glorified chamber maid planted (by the government) in the Palace as an enemy in the blanket to put words into the mouth of the King.

He must be thinking that we’re all bloody idiots to believe this spin as if they could make a statement misrepresenting the King’s views and the King who is still around is not going to contradict that!

All this whole he is persuading Rakyat to believe the rift between the royalty and BN Govt. What he is insinuating is that had there been rakyat casualties in police crowd control, the Malay Regiment loyal to the King would clash with police loyal to the government. If untrue this is a very seditious statement to disseminate on the Net! What is he instigating that has led a 40,000 crowd to brave the rain and FRUs to march to the Istana only to get a statement fr5om the Yang Di Pertuan Agong that he didn’t suport the illegal assembly?

I think a lot of people had been had!

“Abdullah said the three ministers tasked to study the legal aspects of the independent panel report would be giving their views at the next cabinet meeting.”

Why do they need the involvement of 3 ministers? Why, isn’t the 3-member panel able to brief and deliver their views however different, the Cabinet?”

reasons :
1. our pm needs more sleep rather than
entertaining u people so hes delaying till next week.
2. now sports complex tak jadi so hes gonna crack his head on how
to make this project materialise.
3. hes waiting for his sil’s opinion.
4. too many incidents happened recently and he dunno which one
he shud run away from.
5. he still thinks we malaysians are very “forgetful”
6. he cant find anyone whos “clean” enough in his cabinet to form
the panel.
7. maybe hes still on honeymoon mood.

What kind of spin is this from those who hate the government so much that they are prepared to spin the rakyat in the same manner as the government they hate does?

How does this help Opposition credibility to whip up people’s hopes based on Royal Support for the Bersih March and electoral reforms where no royal support was or is there proven?