Pada hari-hari terakhir Parlimen ke-13, Menteri UMNO DS Azalina Othman berkata bahawa pihak kerajaan tidak berniat mengembalikan keperluan perkenan Di-Raja Yang Di-Pertuan Agong sebelum sesebuah Rang Undang-Undang itu menjadi Akta. Beliau menyebut sedemikian dalam satu jawapan bertulis di Dewan Rakyat.
Saya amat terkejut dengan pendirian UMNO dalam isu ini. Ia membuktikan bahawa dakwaan UMNO mempertahan Institusi Raja-Raja Melayu dan kepentingan orang Melayu hanyalah dakyah propaganda semata-mata untuk meraih sokongan orang Melayu terhadap UMNO-BN!
Berasaskan Perlembagaan sedia ada, Perkenan Di-Raja tidak mandatori. Ini telah mengakibatkan salah guna kuasa oleh kerajaan BN. Contoh paling teruk adalah pewartaan Akta Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN) walaupun Majlis Raja-Raja berpendapat beberapa peruntukan dalam Rang Undang-undang tersebut perlu diperhalusi. MKN telah diwartakan tanpa menerima perkenan Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.
Awal tahun ini, saya telah memfailkan tindakan mahkamah terhadap kerajaan di Mahkamah Persekutuan untuk memulangkan keperluan mandatori bagi Perkenan Di-Raja, dengan memansuhkan Fasal 66(4) Perlembagaan Persekutuan yang membolehkan sesuatu RUU menjadi Akta secara otomatik selepas 30 hari, walaupun Yang Di-Pertuang Agong tidak memberi perkenan terhadap RUU tersebut.
Saya berasa jijik mendengar kemunafikan pihak yang berkata kononnya mereka lah yang mempertahan Institusi Raja-Raja, tetapi kerajaan UMNO-BN melalui peguam-peguamnya lah yang melawan habis-habisan tindakan mahkamah yang saya mulakan ini!
Perkenan Di-Raja amatlah penting dalam menjamin keseimbangan di antara pihak eksekutif, legislatif dan Raja-Raja dalam meluluskan undang-undang.
Sekali lagi saya tekankan pendirian dan komitmen Pakatan Harapan untuk mempertahan integriti Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan memelihara kedudukan Institusi Raja-Raja dalam kerangka perlembagaan kita.
Kerajaan Pakatan Harapan akan melihat kembali isu ini dengan niat meminda Perlembagaan demi mengembalikan keseimbangan keperlembagaan seperti yang diniatkan sewaktu Merdeka, dan demi mempertahan kedudukan Raja-Raja Melayu.
Anwar Ibrahim
7 April 2018
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Press Release: Anwar Ibrahim's statement on Umno's refusal to restore Royal Assent requirement
In the final days of the 13th parliament, Umno Minister Azalina Othman stated that the government has no plans to restore the requirement for the Royal Assent of the Yang DiPertuan Agong to be obtained for a Bill to become law. Azalina said this in a written reply in the Dewan Rakyat.
I am appalled by the stand taken by Umno on this issue. It proves that their constant claims that they are protectors of the Royal Institution and the interests of Malays is nothing but false propaganda to hoodwink the Malays into supporting Umno-BN!
As the Constitution stands now, the Royal Assent is not mandatory. This has led to abuse of power by the BN government. The most notorious example is when the government gazetted into law the controversial NSC Act despite the serious concerns of the Conference of Rulers. The NSC became law without obtaining the Royal Assent.
Earlier this year, I had filed an action against the government in the Federal Court to restore the mandatory requirement of the Royal Assent, by striking down Article 66(4) of the Constitution which enables a Bill to automatically become law within 30 days, even if the King does not assent to it.
I am disgusted that despite claiming to be protectors of the Royal Institution, the Umno-BN government through its lawyers are fighting my legal action in the courts every inch of the way!
The Royal Assent is essential in our constitutional scheme to maintain the balance between the executive, legislature and the Rulers in the passing of laws.
I reiterate here Pakatan Harapan's position and commitment to protect the integrity of the Constitution and the preservation of the crucial role of the Royal institution in our constitutional framework.
A PH government will re-visit this issue with a view to amend the Constitution in order to restore the proper constitutional balance as envisaged at Merdeka, and to protect the position of the Malay Rulers.
Anwar Ibrahim
7 April 2018
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