As King, Sultan Abdullah brought a sense of stability, unity to Malaysia

The king, in any country, is seen as a unifier and Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, who ended his five-year reign as Malaysia’s Yang di-Pertuan Agong on 30 January, performed this role superbly.

At a time when politics split the people, he used the institution of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to instill a sense of togetherness.At a time of political turmoil, he used the institution of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to restore a sense of stability.

In doing so, he not only proved his leadership mettle, he also endeared himself to Malaysians of all ethnicities.

In the process, Malaysians realised that the position of Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Agong) is not merely ceremonial.

More than figureheads

As power-play and self-interest roiled politics – with Malaysia witnessing the collapse of two governments, the resignation of two prime ministers and the appointment of four prime ministers in five years - people, especially politicians, realised that the Agong does indeed wield power in certain areas and circumstances.

Suddenly, the Agong was important again; and so was the institution of Rulers. And politicians too discovered, perhaps to their chagrin, that the Rulers were more than figureheads, and began to not only tread carefully so as not to offend them but to sing praises of royalty.

This includes some of the very same politicians who were in the Dr Mahathir Mohamad-led UMNO when it clipped the wings of the Agong and the Rulers via amendments to the Federal Constitution in the 1990s. This includes some politicians in Islamist party PAS who feel uncomfortable about royalty.

Malaysia’s monarchical system is unique in that the nine Malay Rulers elect someone from among them to be the Agong for a five-year term.

Sultan Abdullah’s biggest contribution is bringing some political stability and certainty by initiating the establishment of what is known as a “unity” government, so that the work of governance could proceed, following the 15th general election in 2022 which resulted in a hung Parliament and nail-biting days for Malaysians.

During a state banquet to mark the completion of his reign as the 16th Agong last Saturday night, he noted that the institution of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong stood as the “last bastion” in ensuring sovereignty and the people’s well-being.

Noting it could be a uniting force for multiracial and multireligious Malaysia, he said, “So protect the institution to the best of your ability. Preserve its dignity and never besmirch it with lies and deceit.”

The political turmoil during Sultan Abdullah's reign

Sultan Abdullah had said in opening the 15th Parliament on 13 February 2023 that the most unforgettable and challenging episode of his reign was the political turmoil that began in 2020.

Recalling the events, he said it started when Mahathir resigned as the seventh prime minister on 24 February 2020.

Mahathir, in fact, had become prime minister for a second time when his Pakatan Harapan coalition won the May 9, 2018 general election. However, his government collapsed when his own party, Bersatu, abandoned him to join forces with UMNO and PAS in seeking to form a Malay-centric government.

Sultan Abdullah said using the Agong’s discretionary powers, he found that Muhyiddin Yassin had secured majority support and so appointed him as the eighth prime minister on 1 March, 2020.

He thought that would be the end of it, but internal power-play forced Muhyiddin to resign on 16 August, 2021. He was “again forced to bear the heavy burden of choosing and appointing a new prime minister”.

He then appointed Ismail Sabri Yaakob of UMNO as the ninth prime minister on 21 August, 2021, after ascertaining that he had majority parliamentary support.

In 2022, Ismail Sabri requested the Agong’s consent to dissolve Parliament and call for fresh elections.

“After the 15th general election concluded, for the first time in Malaysia’s democratic history, the country was faced with a hung Parliament. Once again, I had the heavy task of choosing and appointing another prime minister.”

That was when Sultan Abdullah suggested a unity government. Bersatu and PAS rejected it but Anwar quickly cobbled together a group of parties willing to work together to form a government.

And Anwar was appointed the prime minister on 24 November, 2022.

The Agong told MPs when opening Parliament in 2023, “I hope that the tenth prime minister will be the last for me, before I return to Pahang Darul Makmur (his state of Pahang, where he will resume his position as Sultan).

"Running a country is not easy"

As King, he did not simply accept every advice given by the prime minister. For instance, when, in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Muhyiddin sought a declaration of emergency – which, among other things meant that Parliament would be suspended – Sultan Abdullah refused.

However, when COVID-19 cases spiked, he agreed to declare a state of emergency in January 2021. He did this only after consulting a host of people, including the health authorities and his brother Rulers.

In June, when the situation had improved, he told Muhyiddin to reconvene Parliament without having to wait for the expiry of the emergency on 1 August.

These events - especially political shenanigans – worried him, which is why, during a recent interview he gave to editors, he again stressed the need for political stability and for politicians to be more responsible.

He said: “I had four prime ministers during my five years as the king. That was the biggest challenge I had to face. I had to work towards calming down the country as well as maintain harmony and stability, even until now.

"Running a country is not easy. Changes (in administration) should not be done at anyone's whims and fancies as it does not benefit the people and the nation's finances.

"We already have a democratic process which states that every five years, the people can choose a new government via an election. So let the government we have now see its term through instead of just one or two years before being changed yet again."

This can be interpreted as an endorsement of Anwar’s government but his stress was on the need for stability so that businesses can grow, investments can flow and people can have enough dough.

Reminding Malaysians about Malaysia's diversity

Apart from calming political storms, he was always clear about the need for unity among Malaysians of diverse origins.

He was the first Agong, together with his wife the Raja Permaisuri Agong, to send regular greetings for all festivals - and not just the four major festivals - celebrated by almost every group. Minority groups within minority communities in Malaysia were pleased to receive greetings from their majesties via social media posts. it was recognition that they too were Malaysians, that they too existed.

He kept reminding Malaysians over and over that Malaysia had accepted diversity as its main strength and, therefore, everyone should work towards maintaining unity.

His advice to politicians. "To all the politicians, please reduce politicking, and focus on developing the economy, boosting harmony among the people, and uniting all races. Let's not be parochial and narrow-minded.”

Whether politicians heed his advice is another thing, but the people of Malaysia will see his reign as a stormy period produced by selfish politicians and abetted by the COVID-19 pandemic. And they will see him as the king who brought a sense of unity and stability when it was most needed.

A.Kathirasen is a veteran Malaysian journalist/editor who has been writing columns, with breaks, in newspapers and online since 1981. All views expressed are the writer's own.

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