The Monarchy in Contemporary Malaysia

The Challenges Ahead

16 Raja Nazrin Shah technology are not incompatible with Islam. Islam as practised in Malaysia is open to the advances of the Knowledge Age. Islamic banking and Takaful insurance24 are two examples of innovation in the areas of banking and finance, which have become models for other countries. Muslim Malaysia can thus become a voice in the global debate, helping to correct the current inter-religious misunderstandings that are dangerously dividing the world. This country has been conferred leadership of the Organization of Islamic Conference representing all 57 Islamic countries in the world. The more we can promote the fundamental ethics of peace and brotherhood according to the tenets of Islam, the more we uphold the principles of Islamic justice. If we are to be an influence in the universal Islamic debate beginning to engulf us, it will be by example, not just precept. The Challenges Ahead Let me now address some of the challenges, as I see them, facing the monarchy in the years ahead. The question is bound to be asked whether the Rulers are the exclusive preserve of just the one community, the Malays. Whilst 17 The Monarchy in Contemporary Malaysia the Rulers themselves are without exception Malay and Muslim, the people of Malaysia are Malays, Chinese, Indians, Eurasians, Ibans, Kadazans, and other tribal people including the aborigines. Malaysians in the main are Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and Christians. Fostering the allegiance of the people is a challenging task in the midst of all this plurality. Yet our inherent differences have been accommodated into a constitutional framework that not only recognizes the traditional features of Malay society as the definitive culture but also reflects the social contract between our multi-ethnic communities. Forty years ago, Professor Harry Groves25 observed that the monarchy provides a “visible symbol of unity in a remarkably diverse nation”. Since then the roots of monarchy, I would venture to add, have grown even deeper in this inter-cultural soil. What was once perceived to be an essentially Malay institution is now accepted by all as a unifying factor. Far from remote, the Rulers are an integral part of public life, and a highly visible one at that, contributing often to the civil order. Malaysia’s monarchy can certainly play a proactive role in further forging a sense of “one community and one nation” 18 Raja Nazrin Shah to which we aspire. It is a role the Rulers can more meaningfully play than anyone else given the special position they hold in society. Second, there is the generation gap. The challenge here is to reach out to our young citizens. Here the litmus test of ongoing legitimacy is best applied to the youth, the inheritors of the future and with it, the present system of monarchy. What level of allegiance and acceptance will it command down the road? Today’s generation does not remember the struggle for Independence, or the Constitution, which gave us much pride. They are more likely to be sceptical of the relevance and value of the monarchy. They have scant regard for, or patience with, grandeur or nostalgia. They want bottomline benefits and accountability. Rulers have to be seen to be addressing the real needs of society to fulfil their responsibility to the rakyat and in a more modern form — to demonstrate an interest in education and information technology, in ways appealing to a technologically savvy generation. It would be wrong for the Rulers to distance themselves from the issues of the day. They must be role models. I would here like to pay tribute to my father, His Royal Highness Sultan Azlan Shah, who, before he ascended the throne, 19 The Monarchy in Contemporary Malaysia was an eminent member of the judiciary, who rose to be Lord President of the Federal Court of Malaysia,26 and contributed significantly to the body of legal judgments and judicial wisdom that has helped develop Malaysian law.27 Third, the monarchy must adapt to changing circumstances. Though steeped in tradition, it must reflect a contemporary outlook. Changes, when required, have to be addressed and accommodated to suit the temper of the times. In accepting calls for amendments to the Constitution in 1993 affecting the Rulers’ immunity, the institution proved itself once again to be adaptable.28 After all, the Rulers accept a duty of care to promote the welfare and the wellbeing of the people. Theirs is a role of dignified detachment...