20/05/2026

WEDNESDAY | MAY 20, 2026

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Selangor Sultan rebukes assemblyman, former state executive councillor PETALING JAYA: Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has issued a rare public rebuke against a state assemblyman and a former state exco member, urging them to better understand the principles of the Rukun Negara and respect the sovereignty of the monarchy. “In particular, I urge them to come to Dataran Selangor once a week to better understand and appreciate the meaning of the Rukun Negara, so as to become citizens who respect the sovereignty of the Royal Institution and uphold courtesy and morality.” both figures having been associated with public criticism and comments on the matter. Sultan Sharafuddin also said he had personally visited Dataran Selangor to inspect a newly completed Rukun Negara Monument plaque installed facing the Selangor state flagpole. aftermath of the May 13, 1969 racial riots to strengthen unity among the country’s multiracial society.

“The National Operations Council, established as the governing body at the time, formulated the Rukun Negara as a manifestation of the national ideology aimed at strengthening unity among the races in this country.” The Sultan expressed hope that visitors to Dataran Selangor would read and appreciate the five principles of the Rukun Negara. – By Harith Kamal

Their remarks had previously sparked backlash from several quarters, particularly within the Malay and Muslim communities, with critics alleging that the statements were disrespectful towards Sultan Sharafuddin’s position and views on pig farming in the state. The Ruler has maintained that he does not consent to pig farming activities being carried out in any district in Selangor.

The plaque and accompanying public benches were constructed by the Selangor Public Works Department, with the project fully funded by the Sultan himself. He said the monument was intended to remind Malaysians of the importance of the Rukun Negara, which was formulated in the

The Sultan did not elaborate on why the remarks were directed at Wong and Liu. However, the statement is widely understood to be linked to the ongoing controversy surrounding pig farming issues in Selangor, with

In a strongly worded statement posted on the Selangor Royal Office Facebook page yesterday, the ruler named Seri Kembangan assemblyman Wong Siew Ki and former Selangor exco member Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew.

‘Existing legislation covers offence of insulting royalty’ o Acts of hatred or contempt of Rulers already addressed under Sedition Act 1948, says academic

Ű BY T.C KHOR newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: Housing is no longer merely a development issue but a defining test of political will, economic resilience and global cooperation, said Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming. Delivering his opening address as United Nations Habitat Assembly president, Nga warned that governments risk “breaking a promise to our children” if they fail to provide adequate housing amid escalating climate and urban pressures. “When we fail to provide housing, we are breaking a promise to our children. “Hence, the theme of this global forum, ‘Housing the World: Safe and Resilient Cities and Communities’, is not merely a slogan but also a call to immediate action,” he said at the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Azerbaijan yesterday. Nga said aspirations alone, without concrete policies and strong economic foundations, would not solve the worsening global housing crisis. “It might be aspirational to want to house the world, but we will only be boiling the ocean if we do not have PETALING JAYA: Calls for a new law to specifically criminalise insults against Malaysia’s royal institution are unnecessary as existing legislation already covers such offences, said analysts. Inconsistent enforcement and the rise of AI-driven content are complicating efforts to curb provocative online discourse, they said. University of Tasmania Asian Studies Professor Dr James Chin said such acts are already addressed under the Sedition Act 1948, specifically Section 3(1)(f), which defines a “seditious tendency” as any act that brings “hatred or contempt or excites disaffection against any Ruler or against any government”. On May 16, Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia president Datuk Ibrahim Ali called for a special law to address insults against the royal institution following the circulation of a caricature allegedly insulting the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah. He proposed a Sovereignty of the Rulers Bill to curb acts deemed Ű BY HARITH KAMAL newsdesk@thesundaily.com

most of the time.” Azeem said social media has also encouraged impulsive behaviour when discussing sensitive issues. “Keyboard warriors have an illusion that their true identity is not revealed online, and this would in turn lead to them becoming more reckless.” He said enforcement alone could not resolve the problem, describing hate speech as a global phenomenon driven by bias and prejudice. “The key is to be able to respect differences of opinion and to keep political debate civil and within permissible boundaries.”

environment, shaped by race and religion, makes it difficult to fully resolve such tensions. Universiti Sains Malaysia political analyst Prof Dr Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk said 3R-related issues continue to surface online because cyberspace offers greater freedom and weaker regulatory oversight. He said such content is often amplified by Malaysia’s racially and religiously charged political landscape, combined with the openness of digital platforms. “These provocations will at times catch the eyes of the regulators but perpetrators will be able to get away

extreme but the anonymity it provides has emboldened such behaviour. “So, before social media, if you could be anonymous, people would also behave this way. In the old days, we had anonymous flying letters.” He added that enforcement remains complicated because public perception of selective action has weakened trust in authorities. Chin said Malaysia could still balance free speech and respect for sensitive institutions but only if laws are enforced consistently and without bias. He said Malaysia’s political

insulting or provocative towards the monarchy. Chin said 3R (race, religion and royalty) provocations are becoming more frequent, partly driven by AI tools that make manipulation easier. “That is getting very dangerous because for ordinary people it is very difficult to tell whether AI pictures are real or fake,” he told theSun . He said AI-generated visuals could easily inflame public sentiments as most people lack the ability to distinguish authentic material from fabricated content. Chin said social media has not necessarily made people more the political will, the right policy and the economic resilience to build and house all our citizens.” Citing UN-Habitat data, Nga said nearly 2.9 billion people worldwide are affected by the global housing crisis, with one in four living in informal settlements. He added that more than two billion people are expected to be impacted by rising global temperatures by 2040. “For those trapped in inadequate housing, these are not just numbers. They represent a critical threat to survival.” Nga said urban challenges confronting nations today, from housing shortages to climate risks, require stronger multilateral cooperation and accelerated implementation of the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). “As president of the UN-Habitat Assembly, I see these pressures converging. “All of us, in our own way, are grappling with similar urban challenges. “However, if we unite in common shared purpose we shall overcome together.” He highlighted the role of the

Adequate housing vital amid climate, urban pressures: Minister

Nga speaking at the 13th World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan yesterday. – PIC COURTESY OF NGA KOR MING FACEBOOK PAGE

infrastructure but also on vulnerable communities affected by poverty and climate change. “When you look at your city maps, do not just look at roads and zones. See the faces. “See the young entrepreneur in a slum who needs a legal address to start a business. See the families in coastal cities at risk from rising sea levels.”

ownership rate. He said Malaysia had exceeded environmental targets through the planting of over 150 million trees while 60% of local authorities had completed voluntary local reviews linked to SDG implementation. Nga urged world leaders to adopt a more human-centred approach to urban planning, adding that policymakers should focus not only on

Intergovernmental Working Group on Adequate Housing for All, describing it as “a historic platform for multilateral cooperation” that bridges global policy with local delivery. Drawing from Malaysia’s own experience under the Malaysia Madani framework, Nga said the country had delivered more than 1.1 million affordable homes while achieving a 77% home