HRH Sultan of Pahang, Sultan Ahmad Shah Al Mustainbillah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Al Muadzam Shah has spoken on the much talked about “November 10 March” issue, pertaining to HRHs Rulers position on politics and any political motivated event. HRH stated clearly that HRH Rulers are above politics and should not be dragged into any politically motivated move and agenda. HRH Sultan Ahmad Shah is the VIIth SPB YDP Agong and is the second most senior surviving former Supreme Ruler of this country. He described that it was baseless the Monarchy had supported the November 10 illegal assembly and march. He also expressed his disappointment and displeasure of the attempt to drag the XIIIth HM SPB YDP Agong into portraying that he supported the illegal rally and march.
NST has the story:
2007/11/18
Rulers ‘will stay clear of politics, illegal rallies’
KUANTAN: The Malay rulers will not get involved in politics or support illegal rallies, Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang said yesterday.
He also urged those who were trying to drag the royalty into politics to stop their irresponsible act.
Sultan Ahmad Shah described as baseless the claims that the royalty had supported their action.
“I’m disappointed that they have made a false claim that Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin supported the illegal rally in Kuala Lumpur recently.”
The Sultan advised his subjects not to get involved in such activities.
“We should not get involved in illegal rallies and violate the law,” he said when asked to comment on the illegal rally on Nov 10 organised by Bersih, a coalition of non-governmental organisations and opposition parties.
“Please respect the law. As Malays, we should not create hatred or tell lies, especially about our rulers.”
He said the Malay rulers would not sympathise with anyone who went against the law.
“As rulers, we support the government which gets its mandate from the people,” he said after opening the RM5.2 million Muslim Women Welfare Board’s building here.
Sultan Ahmad Shah said illegal rallies and demonstrations would affect the implementation of projects to develop the country.
“The government needs full support from the people in order to develop the country.”
The government had done much to develop the nation, he added.
In Johor Baru, Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman hit out at the opposition for trying to use the name of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to further its political ends.
In Malacca, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said those who spread lies that the rally had the backing of the king should be punished.
Meanwhile, Bersih has denied intending to drag the king into politics. Committee member Sivarasa Rasiah said Bersih, only wanted to submit a memorandum on electoral reform to the king.
“As citizens of Malaysia, it is our expectation that His Majesty will protect our rights and interests and ensure the integrity of our institutions,” he said.
Sivarasa, who is Parti Keadilan Rakyat vice-president, co-organised a gathering of about 10,000 people, according to police estimates, who marched to Istana Negara with an electoral reform petition for the king.
The document was submitted to a palace official at Istana Negara.
Sivarasa said Bersih had never claimed that the memorandum was handed over with the king’s tacit or express approval.
He was asked to comment on a statement by Istana Negara stating that Tuanku Mizan had never condoned the rally and was displeased with assertions that he had supported the gathering.
Pas central committee member Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi said at no time did the coalition intend to drag the king into politics. “The memorandum was accepted by the palace and it is up to the palace to take up the concerns of the rakyat on the electoral process.”
The government has said that it was not against delivering a submission to the king but that the staging of the rally without a police permit had not only been illegal but caused disruption to the public and businesses across the capital.
The Star reported as “Oppositions slammed for trying to use the King“.The former special adviser of the United Nations Secretary General on Ethics had this to say, with regards of implicating the Rulers in supporting the illegal assembly or other politically motivated agenda.
This is what NST reported yesterday:
2007/11/17
King ‘never condoned any rally’
By : Anis Ibrahim
KUALA LUMPUR: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong never condoned the rally held last Saturday and neither was he agreeable to the way the illegal mass demonstration was conducted.
KUALA LUMPUR: After suffering losses in “many millions” of ringgit following last Saturday’s illegal demonstration, 80 non-governmental organisations have called on the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) to keep their agitation indoors.
These NGOs represent businesses and petty traders in Bukit Bintang.
Senator Datuk Lee Chong Meng, who is the adviser to a slew of traders and businesses in the Bukit Bintang area, said last Saturday was a financial disaster for them.
“We don’t want any more demonstrations. It (last Saturday’s demonstration) had cost many millions in business to us in Bukit Bintang,” he said.
Lee declined to peg a figure to the losses, but said that the impact of the demonstrations was being felt by Bukit Bintang businesses.
“Tour operators are getting calls from their counterparts in China, Japan and Hong Kong on the situation in the country, while some have cancelled,” he said at a press conference attended by representatives from the 80 organisations.
Lee urged the demonstrators to emulate them and demonstrate indoors.
“At least you won’t cause traffic jams or frighten tourists and cause inconvenience to businesses,” he said of their gathering at the restaurant venue.
The demonstrations left the city motorists stuck in jams for hours and businesses in the vicinity had to close shop because of this.
Steven Yap, who is the adviser to the Entertainment Industry Association of the Federal Territory, said members’ businesses took a beating last Saturday.
“Many tourists elected to stay in their hotels.
“The demonstration may have been confined to a particular area, but its impact was felt everywhere,” he said.
Jalan Tiong Nam hawker association chairman Yong Chin Seng said members closed shop by 4pm, nine hours earlier than their normal operating hours.
“Many people could not get to Bukit Bintang because of the jams and many more refused to come later as they heard about the jams leading to the area.”
Yong said the real losers were hawkers like him who had to close shop and go home and lose money as food could not be sold.
Tan Hooi Weng, a businessman who runs a wholesale clothes business in Jalan Merlimau, lamented the impact on sales.
“We lost about a million in sales on that day as most of our customers come by during the weekend.
“I appeal to those behind the demonstrations not to do this again.”
On the same related turn of event, three Police reports were made by three different Muslim organisation, pertaining to the ‘November 10 March’ and the subsequent events. The Police report were made against blogger Jeff Ooi, for his interview on Al Jazeera news network (with regards to his commentaries on the November 10 March) and was alleged to defame the country, Government and the Police force.
This was what reported by NST this morning:
2007/11/18
3 groups lodge reports against blogger
KUALA LUMPUR: Three police reports were lodged against blogger Jeff Ooi for allegedly defaming the country, government and police force.
The reports were lodged by the Malaysian Islamic Consumers Association, Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress and Pertubuhan Seni Silat Ikatan Kalam Malaysia against a statement issued by Ooi to an Al Jazeera reporter. The statement was allegedly broadcast on YouTube following an illegal gathering on Nov 10 organised by a coalition of opposition parties and non-governmental organisations calling itself Bersih.
The police reports were lodged at the Sentul police headquarters yesterday about 4.30pm.
The complainants want Ooi to be investigated, alleging that the interview given to Al Jazeera not only tarnished the image of the country but was also seditious and caused racial tension.
Ooi is also alleged to have given inaccurate information to Al Jazeera in stating that the police used unnecessary force in dispersing the demonstrators.
With the statements from HRH Sultan Ahmad Shah and the Comptroller of Istana Negara, on behalf of HM SPB YDP Agong, basically any attempt to portray, implicate and/or drag HRH Rulers and the Monarchy into ’supporting’ or giving consent illegal assemblies and made use for political agenda has blown in the faces of the BERSIH organizers and the Oppositions.
Daulat Tuanku!
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