ONE of the core arguments against my warning that the Chinese rhetoric is pushing Malays towards PAS is that the Federal Constitution protects all citizens’ rights.
Those of you who have this notion about how the law protects us are confusing the privileges we have as rights. They are completely separate as I will demonstrate.
We recently have news of Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah making the following decree:
- High Highness has decreed that there should no longer be pig farming operations in Tanjung Sepat, Kuala Langat.
- In a statement, the Selangor Royal Office said existing operations in the area must be stopped gradually before being fully re-located to Bukit Tagar in accordance with a structured plan and in compliance with all legal requirements and related regulations.
Now, tell me, how does a decree work? Is it within the framework of the chain of command of our Federal Constitution whereby a decree must be obeyed?
It is quite a dilemma, isn’t it? We sometimes have internet warriors argue about the constitutionality of an action – that Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy and the sultans are largely ceremonial in nature.
Are they? The Federal Constitution clearly states that the sultans are the heads of Islam in their respective states. How does that translate to the chain of command?
Minority rights at crossroads
Certainly, questions to ponder and I don’t have a clear answer for you either because even PAS has defied and disagreed with a sultan’s decree on religious matters.
Still, even the disagreement validates what I want to teach you next. Our political system is a democracy first. That means we vote for our leaders whom we think will craft the laws that we want to be bound by.
If the majority votes for PAS to be the government, it means that our regular laws that govern the whole population can be changed to be more Islamic.
Yes, that includes the Chinese dreaded ban on gambling and alcohol. I’m not talking about sentimentality but about how the rules work. If that is what the ruling government wants to do, it can.
Technically, if we really want to go there, the Federal Constitution itself can be amended if 67% or more Parliamentarians voted for it.
That is how majority rules work. The pushback argument against this is that Sabah and Sarawak will never agree, thus we Chinese shall remain not bogged down by a more Islamic rule.
But West Malaysia has Sultans. And these Malay rulers s can make decrees. The Federation of Malaysia also has the Yang diPertuan Agong (YDPA) who can also issue decrees.
Fed rules can be bent at state level
Can sultans over-ride what the court says? Yes, as demonstrated by the ruling on the use of the word ‘Allah’ when a bible is translated into Bahasa Malaysia. It is legal nationally yet several states have implemented their own ban.
So, coming back to the lesson I want to teach about how complicated our nation’s laws are. As you can see, the privilege allowed under Federal law is not absolute and can be stripped away at the state level.
Hence my warning about how what the Chinese are doing is pushing the Malays towards PAS and a possible domination of state politics is a warning that the rules can indeed be changed depending on who rules.
A sufficient enough win that shows the Malays want more of PAS governance will also signal to the other Malay parties to become more Islamic if they want the Malay vote themselves.
So, if you tell me that you can never trust PAS and would never vote PAS is irrelevant because pushing the Malays to vote PAS en masse renders your opinion irrelevant.
One last lesson on rules and laws. It works because we all agree to be bound by it. And PAS has graciously played by these rules.
They do not force themselves on the rakyat but present themselves as a choice – a choice that the rakyat of a few northern and east coast states have chosen to embrace.
The decree by the Selangor ruler, too, is another layer. Is it a legal valid order? I don’t know because there is no stated punishment for disobeying it (that I’m aware of).
Well, we do still have Sedition laws. Can disobeying a decree becomes an insult and is thereby punishable?
So, how confident are you still about how the privileges you enjoy now remain the more you push Malay voters towards PAS? – Jan 15, 2026
Now a political commentator, ex- journalist and former Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) |councillor Mak Khuin Weng ran for the Bukit Gasing State constituency in the 2013 Selangor state election as an independent candidate.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
