DON'T QUESTION SOVEREIGNTY OF RULERS, SAYS NORTHERN STATE RULER

IPOH (Malaysia), June 11 (Bernama) -- The Ruler of northern state of Perak,
Sultan Azlan Shah, said Thursday any move which questions the interests of the
Malays and Bumiputeras in terms of scholarships and places of study not only
violates the fundamental provisions in the federal and state constitutions but
also questions the sovereignty of the Malaysian Supreme King and the Malay
rulers.
He said Clause 2 of Article 153 of the Federal Constitution provided the
King with specific powers to safeguard the interests of the Malays as well as
the Bumiputeras (sons of the soil) in East Malaysia states of Sabah and Sarawak
in terms of scholarships and places of study.

He also said that Article 27 (b) (2) of the Perak State Constitution
provided a similar responsibility to the Sultan of Perak.

"These matters enshrined in the Federal Constitution and the state
constitution are agreements achieved collectively in the spirit of give and take
and the spirit of understanding and respect among the leaders representing the
interests of the various races at the time of negotiating the nation's
independence.

"The agreements were achieved among the leaders of the various races, the
British government and also the Malay rulers," he said when opening a Discourse
on Knowledge at the Perak Islamic Administration Institute, here. Also present
was the Crown Prince of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah.

Sultan Azlan Shah said the leaders of the country had the responsibility of
politics and statesmanship to respect the fundamentals which formed the pillar
of sovereignty of an independent nation as well as the fundamentals which formed
the root of harmonious racial relations, fundamentals which were agreed upon at
the time the nation was formulating the Independence constitution.

He said a deviation from the original spirit would surely raise anxiety and
drag the nation into a situation of uncertainty.

"At the same time, the fundamentals of the agreement should not at all be
abused at the implementation stage so as to make any race feel that it has been
oppressed.

"In accordance with the role of the throne as the source of justice, it is
also the responsibility of the King and the rulers in every state to ensure that
the legitimate interests of the other races are also safeguarded," he said.

The sultan said practices which deviated from the principles of justice
should not be allowed to take place because every legitimate citizen should be
accorded appropriate justice.

Sultan Azlan Shah said people could usually think rationally if the basis of
consideration was always founded on knowledge and any matter was interpreted
objectively based on facts.

He said people who based their interpretations based on knowledge would be
able to isolate themselves from sentimental and emotional influences and could
differentiate between what was assumed to be fact and what was anticipated to
happen.

"Knowledge becomes valuable if the knowledge gained from education can be
practised in daily life. The real test of the mastery of knowledge is at the
stage of application. People who are able to appreciate knowledge will see their
mastery of knowledge at the application stage," he said.

The sultan said a knowledgeable person would display qualities of good
behaviour and morality.

"Fifty years ago, when the country was still short of intellectuals and
professionals, good behaviour and morality were a part of the culture of the
society in the country; they were components emphasised in the process of
education and delivery of knowledge, and were important elements to bring about
stability," he said.

Sultan Azlan Shah said the country today had a much bigger number of
intellectuals and professionals but there were indications of a drop in the
qualities of good behaviour and morality, the fifth principle of the Rukun
Negara (National Ideology).

He said it seemed that priority was no longer given to good behaviour and
morality today although knowledge institutions had sprouted in abundance.

"This seems to indicate that there is a gap between the growth of knowledge
institutions and the appreciation of knowledge in practice in daily life, or
there is a possibility of an imbalance between the delivery approach and the
dissemination of knowledge which overemphasises the respective disciplines of
study so much so that the components of good behaviour and morality are
neglected," he said.

The sultan said knowledge mastered without a strong basis of good behaviour
and morality could cause the downfall or destruction of the civilisation and
social values of the local community.

"Hopefully, the components of good behaviour and morality are given
importance and interlaced with wisdom by every individual and institution
involved in knowledge activities," he said.
-- BERNAMA