Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Are Our Monarchs Immune from criticisms?

Why would honest abiding citizens suddenly revert to insulting a monarch who was once upon a time being revered as a model for the royal institution.?Instead of charging ordinary citizens for venting their anger at the sultans, which in their minds and perception had erred in his decision not to dissolve the State assembly, the Govt in particular should look into the cause for the sudden act of impropriety against the royal monarchs. Perhaps it would also be appropriate for the sultan in the light of this event to examine his role as to why his decision had elicited such a response from his erthswhile loyal subjects. To charge and punish citizens for venting their anger at the source of the ire is merely to suppress their right to express their frustration and anger.Whereas in Thailand there is such a law as leste Majesty, can we also assume that there are also such laws preventing Malaysians from insulting our royalty?Is insulting the royalty tantamount to being seditious? As citizens of the country are we to remain mute even though a wrong has been committed by the Sultan?Is there no avenue that citizens can ventilate their opinions and anger knowing fully well that the sultan had not acted in conformity with the express will of the people? History is replete with examples how ordinary people have risen to dispose of their royalty who have acted contrary to the interest of its citizens.Queen Marie Antoinetee was guillotined during the French revolution, the Last czar of Russia and his family was executed and in more recent times, the shah of Iran had to go in exile to America when his regime was deposed by Ayatollah khomeini.Surely our royalty should acquaint themselves with these examples so that they will be wiser in their reign.

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