Tengku Putra Haron stressed that the country’s constitutional monarchy remained vital to the Malay community as a symbol of their heritage. — Bernama pic

KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — Malaysia’s royalty must accept that their conduct will come under increased public scrutiny with the new government’s air of transparency and reform, said a former Umno lawmaker.

Former Johor assemblyman Datuk Tengku Putra Haron Aminurrashid Tengku Abdul Hamid Jumat claimed the defeated Barisan Nasional had been overly generous in shielding the royalty, but was no longer able to do so.

“Consider this a wake-up call for the Rulers to conduct themselves accordingly as clearly enshrined in the Constitution,” said the former Kempas assemblyman in a statement today.

He added that he predicted this since 2015, when he had urged the royalty to shun involvement in politics and business in order to avoid accusations of abuse.

However, he said his advice was ignored.

“Under the new government, every business transaction and ‘decree’ upon civil servants that went beyond the boundaries of the law is not free from scrutiny,” he said.

He also said there was little doubt that civil servants would now be willing to reveal evidence of abuse if pressured.

Tengku Putra Haron added that the Malay community was not as ardent as it once was in defending the monarchy.

However, he stressed that the country’s constitutional monarchy remained vital to the Malay community as a symbol of their heritage.

He earlier urged Umno to take heart in the fact that it remained the best represented Malay party in Parliament, saying this was clear from the 54 seats it won in the general election compared to PPBM’s 13.

“That makes Umno still the preferred party of the Malays and far from dead and buried.

“The only reason why they are perceived to be the better Malay party is because the prime minister of the day is from PPBM,” he said.