And Najib Gets His Way After All
Unfortunately it seems that Najib Tun Razak will get to be Prime Minister after all. The Malaysian Insider reports:
The day began with the palace exerting some control over the handover of power between Abdullah and his successor, Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
After watching politicians and civil servants muddle up the protocol and procedures over the past few days, Istana Negara set everyone straight, much to the embarrassment of senior civil servants and the Prime Minister’s Department.
The core of the problem was the public statements that Abdullah was going to seek an audience with the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong to tender his resignation and recommend a successor with Najib accompanying him.
Palace officials baulked at this idea, saying that this would have been against the norm.
Protocol dictates that the Malaysian King should meet the prime minister who wants to resign, consider his request to step down, listen to his choice of a successor and then make a decision.
If he accepts the resignation, then he can grant an audience to the person who has been identified as the incoming leader of Malaysia.
The Malaysian Insider understands that the palace were also displeased with invitations sent out.
Palace officials informed senior civil servants that the King would appreciate if the proper procedures and the protocol were followed. As such, this morning only Abdullah was allowed to meet the King at 11am. They met for an hour.
Only after this meeting was over and Abdullah had left the palace grounds, did the King meet Najib.
This departure from what had been announced by the government set off the rumour mill. SMSes were sent saying that the swearing in ceremony of the new PM was being postponed from 10am tomorrow to a later date.
The Malaysian Insider has learnt that palace officials felt that despite several lapses by government officials, these were not fatal to have the swearing-in ceremony called off.
Disappointing? Yes. Unexpected? Not to me. There was hope but then there was also the reality that one had to face .. that in confronting such entrenched power, it won’t be defeated so easily. So what exactly is our problem with Najib? Maybe these two open letters to His Majesty the YDP Agong might help give some context:
My pastor, Sivin Kit, reminds us that regardless of where we stand on this, we ought to remember our nation and pray that God’s kingdom come both on earth as it is in heaven.
