King's Royal Address Reflects Maturing National Direction - Academics

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- The Royal Address, delivered by Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, during the opening of the fifth session of the 15th Parliament reflects an increasingly mature national direction, with a clear emphasis on inclusive economic recovery, improved governance and the well-being of Malaysians as the core of national development, academics said. 

Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Administrative Science and Policy Studies Faculty senior lecturer Mujibu Abd Muis said His Majesty’s focus on the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), specifically in the areas of education, housing, healthcare and public transport showed that the national development approach was no longer focused on merely economic growth, but prioritised the people’s quality of life.

The King’s emphasis that all plans would fail to materialise as long as corruption was rampant conveyed a clear message that clean governance with integrity was the main prerequisite to the success of national development, he added.

“This reflects a maturing national approach, where the government’s legitimacy not only depends on political mandate but also on the ability to manage public trust with integrity,” he told Bernama today.

He also said that the proposed reforms mentioned in the Royal Address, including term limits for the prime minister’s post and the separation of roles of the Attorney-General and Public Prosecutor, should be viewed as efforts to streamline institutional structures.

“From the perspective of political theory, the reforms are intended to reduce the concentration of power and strengthen checks and balances within the system of governance,” he said.

He also noted that the King’s firm call on corruption, serious crime, digital security threats, and 3R issues (race, religion, and royalty) to be addressed regardless of rank or position was an approach that signaled that the country was entering a phase of reasserting institutional authority.

“From the standpoint of public confidence, this approach can potentially have a positive impact if it is followed by transparent and effective action. But if enforcement is seen as selective or politically motivated, it could produce the opposite effect,” he added.

Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Social Sciences and Humanities Faculty director, Assoc Prof Dr Mazlan Ali said the King’s extraordinary firmness on corruption sends a clear signal that the integrity of national institutions must be restored comprehensively without compromise.

His Majesty’s stand, including labelling perpetrators and protectors of corruption as traitors to the country, reflects the level of seriousness of the issue at present, he said.

“The Royal Address illustrates how serious the King is about the issue of corruption, and it also reflects clear support for efforts to combat corruption through enforcement actions that are currently being carried out,” he said.

Mazlan said current developments show that the message is not merely symbolic, as more corruption cases are being uncovered and investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), including those that have been brought to court.

“We can see at present that many cases have been uncovered and investigated by the MACC, and some have already been prosecuted in court,” he said.

The King had, in his Royal Address, stressed the need to combat corruption on a large scale, strengthen laws and democratic institutions, address modern security threats, and ensure that national unity and the well-being of the people continue to be safeguarded.

The King delivered his Royal Address at the opening of the fifth session of the 15th Parliament today, which opened both the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara.

The Dewan Rakyat session is slated to last for 20 days and include the tabling of the Motion of Thanks on the Royal Address, followed by seven days of debate on the motion beginning Jan 20.

-- BERNAMA