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Malaysian coalition, royalty clash

Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, right, walks with Queen Nur Zahirah as they are escorted by Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, back left, during the king's welcoming ceremony at the parliament in Kuala Lumpur on Dec. 13, 2006. PHOTO: AP

Malaysia's prime minister has declared unconstitutional the appointment of a chief minister in a northern state, in a rare showdown with the nation's royal rulers and the ruling government, reports said yesterday.

Terengganu is the only state that has yet to install a government chief, two weeks after elections in which Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's ruling coalition suffered its worst ever results.

The coalition led by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) retained control of Terengganu, but Abdullah's choice for chief minister, incumbent Idris Jusoh, was overlooked by the state palace, which instead appointed another UMNO figure.

"Idris Jusoh commands majority support [among the elected state representatives]. This has not changed," Abdullah was quoted as saying by the state-run Bernama news agency.

"As such, the appointment of any other person to the post is unconstitutional," he said.

Malaysia's elections, which delivered four more states and a third of parliamentary seats to the opposition, triggered tussles with royals in other states, but appointees there had the support of the majority of lawmakers.

The New Straits Times said in an editorial that an unhappy relationship between the chief minister and royal rulers could result in "trouble and acrimony."

Analysts say the clash between the Terengganu palace and Abdullah's government is symptomatic of the prime minister's weakened position after the unprecedented election losses.

"Abdullah was already weak to begin with and the crisis in Terengganu just shows how much more worse off his position is," the Center for Public Policy Studies' Tricia Yeo said.

"It shows the rampant infighting within the party that is now preventing the government from getting down to rule the country," she said.

"It is definitely a low point for UMNO," Yeo said.

Under Malaysia's rotating monarchy, the Sultan of Terengganu, the 46-year-old Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, is now serving as the Malaysian king.

He has delegated his powers to his son who is only eight years old and so co-reigns with a three-member Regency Advisory Council.

Malaysia has nine sultans who take turns ruling for five years as king. Their mostly ceremonial duties include appointing the chief ministers of their states.

Other rulers have also begun to speak out on issues of governance. The Sultan of Selangor state last year reprimanded a town councillor for building a house without required permits.

The rulers, whose powers were sharply limited in 1983 by then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, are seeking to reclaim their former stake in politics -- along with a resurgent opposition in a more robust parliament.
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