Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz’s statement reported in the media yesterday that the government does not practice double standards against anyone who makes seditious remarks against the Malay Rulers is very commendable.

He was further quoted as having said: ‘I do not care whether the person is an elected representative from the Barisan National (BN) or Pakatan Rakyat’. These are stirring remarks of principle.

However, Nazri should be called upon to answer where he was in 1992/93 when the then prime minister and president of Umno, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, made virulent and highly seditious public statements against the Malay Rulers including the then Yang di Pertuan Agong questioning their immunities, privileges and withdrawing some.

Police reports were lodged all over the country against Mahathir yet there was no action taken against him. Was not double standards applied then? Was not Mahathir then seen as being above the law?

Why all this undue haste in having the investigation on Karpal Singh expedited? In this regard, we should be mindful of the remarks of the Regent of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah, reported by the media on Dec 12, 1992.

He was reported to have said that: ‘[...] it was a misconception to think that anyone or any institution in the country was exempt from the law because there was not a single system in this modern age which denies the people’s basic rights and freedom’.

The Regent made those remarks in the context of the institution of the Sultanate some 15 years ago. Today Malaysia should be - and be seen as being - in an enlightened era with a robust market place for reason, dialogue, exchange of ideas and opinions.

Karpal’s remarks must therefore be seen as an expression of his right to an opinion on a constitutional matter and should not be viewed as an offence.

The writer is former UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers.