Even the British with their greater affluence and more efficient economy are questioning the burden of having their Queen, and her relevance. For Malaysia, the burden would be tolerable and bearable if there is only one royal head. Unfortunately, we have a glut of sultans and sultan wannabes.
In addition to the king and nine state sultans, there are the four non-royal heads of state (the governors) who have equally grandiose royal pretensions and accompanying extravagant tastes. If that long list were not enough, we now have the latest addition and by far the most expensive in the person of pseudo sultan Prime Minister Abdullah.
Abdullah successfully fooled everyone (including former Prime Minister Mahathir) with his carefully cultivated fraudulent image of humility, piety, and honesty. He refused to move into his relatively new official residence until it had undergone multi million-dollar renovations. Even President Bush did not need such lavish renovations before moving into the White House. Abdullah's current obsession is luxurious corporate jets. What's next?
It is amazing how this hitherto simple kampong imam has quickly degenerated and acquired such expensive tastes, all at the nation's expense. Equally amazing is how Malaysians have indulged him.
Of course, if the Prime Minister has a luxurious corporate jet at his disposal and multimillion-dollar renovations to his official residence, the King must have more. Thus the obscene race of exorbitant spending begins, with a new RM400-million palace being built, never mind that there is already one in Putrajaya as well as the perfectly adequate existing Istana Negara.
With a monkey see, monkey do mentality, when one sultan gets a new expensive toy, the others would soon want it too. Therein lies the expensive burden.
As expensive as it is to maintain these sultans, governors, and the Prime Minister with their never-satisfied profligate tastes, the more destructive effect is the negative impact their wasteful ways have on the citizens.
Elsewhere I describe the corrosive consequences of the sultan syndrome, of ministers, departmental heads and senior officials aping the sultans and assuming a detached and imperious role instead of being an engaged executive. They preoccupy themselves with the trapping of their offices and are consumed with entertaining dignitaries or endless do good social activities while neglecting their primary responsibilities. They busy themselves planning Quran reading competitions or Merdeka Day celebrations while our rivers remain deadly polluted and universities continue their steep decline.
These mini pseudo sultans also engage in their own version of royal visits.Visi is the appropriate word, for that is all they do. Do not expect them to be curious or ask probing questions of their subordinates. If those units happen to be located at desirable destinations like resort towns or shopping havens, those official visits are nothing more than a convenient cover for an all-expense paid personal trip.
Senior Malaysian personnel on official visits to America, Europe or elsewhere in the world, most are more concerned with shopping or visiting their children in college.
If the King were to fancy himself emulating the legendary Caliph Omar's style of wandering incognito around the marketplace in order to assess how the citizens are faring, he could have the same information logging anonymously onto the Internet and reading Malaysiakini, Malaysia Today, and Ahiruddin Atan's blog. The King would get a far more accurate picture of his kingdom than from all those royal visits and briefings. If he is computer illiterate, do not despair. One of the palace official's teenage sons could have him be Internet-savvy within minutes.
The observation also applies to the increasing participation of immediate members of the royal family in commerce. Any member of the royal family on the civil list, that is, getting an allowance from the state by virtue of their being a member of the royalty, would lose that allowance should they participate in commerce; likewise if they were employed. This would encourage them to donate their services and skills pro bono. As the public is already paying them through their royal allowances, their getting an additional public salary would be tantamount to double dipping. It would be patently unfair.
If they were to be involved in business, an independent review body should scrutinize any government contract they receive to ensure that it had been awarded fairly.
If we do not have such strict guidelines, there is a danger that these sultans and their family members would assume the mentality of the Sultan of Brunei, of confusing the state treasury as their personal piggy bank.
The last time someone tried to rein in the excesses of the sultans, it precipitated a constitutional crisis. It took the courage of a Mahathir to take on the sultans. Today with a Prime Minister more enamored with getting royal awards and joining the sultans into their jet-set luxurious lifestyle at public expense, there is no one left to check the excesses of the royal class, the real as well the pretenders.
There needs a rethink of the institution in light of how we see what country we want. Is it still relevant? Is it a legacy that inhibits our future progress? Is it sustainable?
We need to see Malaysia as a country and not as communal groups. Any system that allows corruption for breed should be revamped. Any institution that is a waste of public funds should be re-examined. Any leader who wastes public funds should be replaced.
excerpts from: Bakri Musa
modified by: mi1
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