From: waseems@sco.COM (Waseem Siddiqi)
Subject: Malay sultans sense an end to the high life
Organization: SCO Canada, Inc.
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 23:06:18 GMT

>From: G.S.Ong@rea0803.wins.icl.co.uk
>Subject:      MY: Malay sultans sense an end to the high life
>To: Multiple recipients of list SEASIA-L <SEASIA-L@msu.bitnet>

         MY: Malay sultans sense an end to the high life

         by Kieran Cooke

         [Financial Times, Jan 25]

         -----------------------------------------------------------------

              There are few things as upsetting as seeing your own obituary
         in the newspapers. Recent life has been a bit like that for
         Malaysia's nine sultans, or hereditary rules, who take turns as
         king.

              The royalty is involved in a bruising battle with Dr Mahathir
         Mohamad, Malaysia's powerful prime minister. Over the weekend one
         of the country's national newspaper pointedly printed a list of
         the world's mornachys who had fallen by the proletarian wayside
         since the war.

              The sultans sit in their palaces, bombarded by adverse
         publicity, sensing that their days of high living could be at the
         end.

              Dr Mahathir wants to limit the sultans' powers. Last week the
         prime minister introduced a bill to parliament that would do away
         with constitutional provisions giving the royalty immunity from
         prosecution.

              But Dr Mahathir has a problem. The constitutional stipulates
         that any action which alters the position of the royalty must be
         approved by the sultans themselves.

              Persuasive techniques have been applied to make the sultans
         agree to the constitutional changes. Stories of royal high living
         and various alleged abuses of royal power began to appear in the
         media. The sultans seemed persuaded.

              But then, at the last minute, they turned on Dr Mahathir,
         unanimously rejecting the constitutional changes.

              Since then, the government gloves have come off. The
         government started by announcing that relatively trivial royal
         benefits, like special licence plates for their lavish fleets of
         cars, must go.

              Special wards in hospitals reserved for the royalty would be
         opened to the public. Dr Mahathir would no longer seek a weekly
         audience with the king. There would be no more state funds for the
         upkeep of royal yachts, and no more allocations for work on royal
         homes.

              By the end of last week Dr Mahathir had moved forward the big
         guns. In future, he said, funds would be given to the royalty only
         in strict accordance with the regulations. In effect, this means
         the withdrawal of many millions of dollars from the royals'
         purses.

              Each day fuller stories of alleged royal misdemeanours have
         emerged.

              One sultan is said to have been in the habit of opening fire
         on vehicles careless enough to come close to royal motorcades.
         Another is said to have sold timber concessions worth millions of
         dollars pay gambling debts.

              There have been tales of manslaughter and, in one case,
         murder, with allegations made in parliament that a sultan killed
         his golf caddie.

              The sultans are not entirely defenceless against this
         government directed barrage. Some sultans are extremely wealthy
         and able to cope with the tighter financial times.

              They are still revered by many Malays who see them as symbols
         of Malay identity. There are also those who also point to what
         they see as the lavish lifestyle of Malaysia's "new rajas" - some
         government ministers themselves.

              Dr Mahathir insists he does not want to do away with the
         mornachy. But there are fears that the prime minister is seeking
         to add to his power.

              Parliament has passed Dr Mahathir's constitutional
         amendments. They now go to the king for approval. Dr Mahathir says
         he is determined to make the amendments law.

              But if the rulers continues to withhold their consent then a
         constitutional crisis will develop.

-- 
Waseem A. Siddiqi                                 Tel:   (416) 922 1937 
SCO Canada                                        email: waseems@sco.com 
Toronto, Canada                                          utcsri!scocan!waseems
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asean