By Ali Imran Mohd Noordin
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) -- Sultan Muhammad V will probably be best known for the joke he cracked just before delivering his Royal Address at the opening of the first session of the 14th Parliament on July 17 last year.
"Yang Berhormat, sila duduk dan jangan lari (Yang Berhormat, please sit down and don't run)," the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong had said in jest in an obvious reference to the walkout staged by the opposition during the swearing in of the new Dewan Rakyat speaker a day earlier.
There was much laughter in the august house in response to the ruler's quip, which went viral on social media sites, and even before he completed his speech, some netizens were already uploading posters highlighting the now famous royal remarks.
Interestingly, some netizens felt that Sultan Muhammad V's remarks served as a timely reminder to the New Malaysia's Members of Parliament to carry out their duties diligently and not to run away from the responsibilities vested on them by the people who elected them.
The rakyat, generally, are of the view that the ruler has given a fresh and people-friendly image to the monarchy during his two-year reign as Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Not surprisingly, there was much shock and sadness among the people on Jan 6 when Sultan Muhammad V announced that he was stepping down as Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
HISTORIC EVENT
Sultan Muhammad V was installed as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on April 24, 2017, and it was during his reign that Malaysia witnessed a historic transition of power just after the 14th General Election on May 9 last year.
Seen as a ruler who gave enough scope for Malaysia's democratic system to flourish, Sultan Muhammad V took care to ensure that the power shift took place in a peaceful and organised manner.
Being a ruler who loved his country, he was up till the wee hours of the following morning to keep himself up to date with the election results.
As Pakatan Harapan had used the name and symbol of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) to take part in the polls, Sultan Muhammad V wasted little time in summoning the then PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to Istana Negara.
This explained the absence of Dr Wan Azizah when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and other PH leaders held a media conference at 3 a.m. on May 10 last year.
As the change in the federal administrative leadership was unprecedented, Sultan Muhammad V acted carefully in compliance with the relevant laws to ensure the smooth transfer of power.
In this respect, the ruler had asked the PH component parties to write and sign a letter stating that they supported the appointment of Dr Mahathir as the seventh prime minister.
The consensus was necessary as PKR had won the most number of seats and PH had yet to be registered with the Registrar of Societies.
Istana Negara only received the official results of the election from the Election Commission at 2.45 p.m. the day after the election, following which he granted an audience to the leaders of the four PH parties, namely Wan Azizah (PKR), Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (Bersatu), Lim Guan Eng (DAP) and Mohamad Sabu (Amanah).
After the session, he invited Tun Dr Mahathir to form the new government and be sworn-in as the prime minister.
The events after the election proved that Sultan Muhammad V upheld the principles of truth when making a decision. The ruler, indisputably, played a prominent role in ensuring the nation's democratic process thrived under his reign.
PEOPLE-ORIENTED
Sultan Muhammad V has always been known to be a humble ruler.
It was not unusual for the people of Kelantan to see their ruler present at their mosque without any protocol. He would be dressed simply in a robe and wear a white kopiah and a pair of slippers.
He was also the inspiration behind people-centric programmes like ‘Qiam With Me’ where the people are invited to join their ruler in early morning prayers held during the month of Ramadan.
It was also Sultan Muhammad V who was instrumental in making the annual Royal Walkathon a much-awaited event ever since it was introduced in Kelantan in 2011.
In June last year, Sultan Muhammad V decreed that his salary and emoluments be reduced by 10 percent until the conclusion of his reign as Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 2021 as he was concerned about the nation's debt level and economic situation.
Sultan Muhammad V had also decreed that Istana Negara would not host its annual Hari Raya open house (last year) and that the budget allocated for the event would be utilised to help the less privileged.
The ruler also brought much happiness to Dr Wan Azizah's family and PKR supporters when he granted a full and immediate pardon to the party's then de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was serving his five-year jail sentence at the Sungai Buloh prison in Selangor.
EXALTED STATURE
Whether in the east or west, Sultan Muhammad V's leadership always stood out and he is much respected and held in high esteem.
He never shies away from expressing his opinions, especially in terms of the welfare of Muslims all over the world.
On Feb 26, 2017, the King of Saudi Arabia King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who is also the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, visited Malaysia at the invitation of Sultan Muhammad V.
During their meeting, Sultan Muhammad V said as active members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia should cooperate to seek ways to address the various challenges confronting the Muslim world.
The ruler had also noted that Kuala Lumpur and Riyadh shared a similar stand on the need to find solutions to the issues affecting the ummah.
Sultan Muhammad V also granted an audience to the Prince of Wales Prince Charles and his wife Camilla at Istana Negara when the Royal Highnesses visited Malaysia on Nov 3, 2017, to commemorate their country's 60 years of diplomatic ties with Malaysia.
During his reign, Sultan Muhammad V also received the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Hamad Al Thani, King of Bahrain King Hamad Isa Al Khalifa and Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito.
Sultan Muhammad V, who was born on Oct 6, 1969, at Istana Batu, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, was also conferred the Honorary Fellowship of St Cross College of Oxford University, his alma mater, on March 1, 2018. The conferment has placed the ruler among an international network of 14 Honorary and Domus Fellows of the college.
He was educated at the Oakham School in Rutland, England, until 1989 before he pursued his studies in Diplomatic Studies at St Cross College at Oxford. He also pursued Islamic Studies at the Oxford Centre until 1991.
Sultan Muhammad V also attended the opening of the new Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies at Oxford on May 16, 2017.
Translated by Rema Nambiar
-- BERNAMA
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