“Their complicity and silence now – is frankly shameful.”

- N Surendran

COMMENT | Make no mistake, the new legislation to protect the sanctity of the monarchy – espoused by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Liew Vui Keong – is a craven attempt to please the monarchy in the way that Pakatan Harapan partisans often accuse certain Malay leaders of doing.

The public has never threatened the sanctity of the royal institution – whatever that means. Rather, Malay political operatives over the years have slowly stripped the monarchy of its influence and powers, which they deemed detrimental to their self-interests. This had the unintended consequence of empowering democratic institutions, which was a good thing for the rakyat.

Liew’s rather asinine justification for the new legislation is typical of the horse manure coming out from Harapan political operatives these days. He claims that the new legislation is needed to ensure that the monarchy is protected from unfounded slander – as opposed to slander grounded in fact – and attacks by irresponsible people.

Who are these irresponsible people? Netizens who are using the freedom of speech trumpeted by Harapan as a departure from BN? Activists, like Fadiah Nadwa Fikri who is using her freedom of speech to ask legitimate questions about the royalty?

The only reason why Harapan is even considering these laws is that they want to please the monarchy, and have no trouble shoving it to the average rakyat – Malays and non-Malays – who elevated them to power.

They do this because they want to establish their race and religion bona fides; a non-Malay minister shovelling this horse manure demonstrates the servile nature of non-Malays in Harapan.

All of which is done to service Malay power structures and strengthen Malay institutions that are important for the Umno/Malay base, which Harapan desperately thinks it needs.

Liew actually has the temerity to claim that the punishments for certain offences against the monarchy are too lenient.

Really? I want Harapan partisans to think about this carefully. Liew is saying that the restricted class of people where freedom of speech does not apply, has too lenient punishments and what Harapan wants to do, is make...