Published February 26, 2009

Selangor ruler stays above political fray

Sultan declines to intervene over fate of opposition politician Elizabeth Wong

By S JAYASANKARAN
IN KUALA LUMPUR

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IN A move seemingly aimed at regaining the moral high ground, Selangor's monarch yesterday stayed above the Elizabeth Wong controversy, leaving the decision over her political fate in the hands of the state's chief minister.

Ms Wong: Sultan is sympathetic to her plight and critical of those who would drag someone's private life into the public arena

But the ruler's comments could also be interpreted as a calculated snub to those politicians who had demanded Ms Wong's head on a platter on moral grounds because the monarch was clearly sympathetic to her plight and critical of those who would drag someone's private life into the public arena.

The thirty-seven year old Ms Wong, from the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), offered to resign both her state seat and her executive councillor position after nude photographs of her asleep were distributed widely over the Internet. News-reports have identified a former lover, now in Indonesia, as the person most likely to have taken the pictures.

She has since amplified her quit statements to make it clear that she would not reconsider them, citing the 'trauma and humiliation' she suffered during the episode and has since fled abroad. Police are investigating the case but no arrests have been made.

Although Ms Wong generally enjoyed widespread public sympathy after the news broke, there have been those - notably former Selangor chief minister Khir Toyo - who have clamoured for her ouster on the grounds of 'public morality.'

The monarch's decision to remain 'above politics' could illustrate a new found caution among Malaysia's royals to avoid being embroiled in seeming political partisanship. A month ago, the Sultan of Perak dismayed many people after he refused to dissolve the state assembly to hold fresh polls, opting instead, to recognise a hastily formed Barisan Nasional government created out of defections from the opposition.

The outcry was such that it moved the Selangor monarch to issue an unprecedented statement calling for the people to respect the royalty and not be rude.

The ruler's decision to send the ball back to the chief minister's court was also smart because it effectively put him above criticism: if he had made any decision, it would have invariably made some quarters unhappy. By also adding his own feelings on the matter, he claimed the moral high ground while effectively silencing the holier-than-thou elements in the state's political milieu.

A statement from the palace said that Khalid Ibrahim, the Selangor chief minister, had sought an audience with Sultan Sharaffudin Idris Shah yesterday to explain the state's political developments and to seek the 'guidance' of the sultan regarding Ms Wong.

In the statement, the sultan's private secretary Mohamad Munir Bani, said the sultan felt he could offer no guidance as the issue was still under police investigation and that it involved her political position.

'It is his stance as the Sultan of Selangor to be above politics' Mr Munir said. He explained that the sultan felt that whatever decision Mr Khalid made would be 'fair.'

The statement also noted that Sultan Sharaffudin was 'upset and worried' about invasion of privacy matters and said it was a 'sad thing' when someone's private life was made public and splashed in the mass media.

The statement made clear that the sultan felt 'sad and sympathised' with Ms Wong over the 'unfortunate event' she had undergone and advised her to be 'remain calm and to be patient in continuing with her life henceforth.'

Ms Wong, who is the PKR's women's wing information chief, won the Bukit Lanjan state seat in the March 2008 general election after defeating Barisan Nasional's Yong Dai Ying with a 5,155-vote majority.