The recent events in our country sadden a lot of people including me. The take over of the Perak government by the BN-led Umno. The charges against Karpal Singh for alleged sedition against the Sultan of Perak.

The convictions of those persons for allegedly defaming the Perak sultan on the Internet. The most recent is the suspension of Gobind Singh Deo from Parliament.

First of all, let us look at the events that transpired in Perak. Even our former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has shown his disapproval of the way that government was taken over. The people of Perak and most Malaysians, too, are not happy. The question is ‘why’?

This is not a question of whether the sultan has the right or not. This is a question of whether the new government of Perak is a government elected by the people. Our country is a democratic country with a constitutional monarchy. But the real power lies with the people.

They decide who governs them. It is not enforced onto them. This is what our forefathers fought for from the British and this was what they dreamed of for the future.

I am not a constitutional expert but my one sen opinion is simple. First of all, it is the state assembly that should decide whether the menteri besar has the support of the majority and if he does not, then a vote of no confidence is passed and the MB would need to resign and the state assembly dissolved.

Then the assembly decides which party commands the majority and the party with the majority would elect among themselves the MB and form the next state government. This is then presented to the sultan for approval. However, in Perak, none of this was done.

The present state government was formed without the approval of the state assembly and the sultan opted to ignore the very institution that represents the people of Perak. The assembly is a symbol of democracy and the voice of the people. It is a sacred assembly of the people. It is the assembly that decides who governs - not individuals.

I do not approve either the act of defaming the Sultan on the Internet or the act of the sultan to ignore the assembly of the people. What I condone are the wishes of the people. Certain people have opted for unacceptable acts purely based on dissatisfaction as they presumed their rights have been violated.

None of this would have occurred if the sultan had in a fair and wise way decided to return the mandate to the Perak people by dissolving the assembly. Let the people decide. It is their right in a democratic country.

As for Karpal Singh, I am sure he knows his law well and he would be well-prepared for his court case. He is the ‘lion’ that has championed the people for decades. ‘Singh is King’ and my best wishes. My only comment is that no power is greater than ‘people power’ except for the power of God.

It is not my intention to question the rights of the monarchy as this is clearly stated in our constitution. What I am asking is that the rights of the people must be guarded and fulfilled. This is what our forefathers fought for.

For centuries we were colonised and the people had no right to decide who governed them. Things were imposed on them and life was bad while the colonisers and rulers lived a luxury life. Poverty was part of life as the people on power were only concerned about safeguarding their interests.

Democracy, however, paved the way for the people to decide on who governs them so that the people in power work for the people and not for their own self interests. For all its flaws, democracy raised the people out of their misery for them to decide their own future.

Thus, it is important that we uphold the democratic system of the country and the fulfillment of the wishes of the people. In this sense I am disappointed with the recent suspension of Gobind for a year from Parliament as this act not only affects Gobind but also the democratic voice of the people in Parliament.

A better way would be to withdraw Gobind’s allowances as an MP for that period but allow him to attend Parliament ro represent his constituents. To deprive hom of this is to take away the right of the people.

Our forefathers had a dream of a free, democratic and prosperous country for all people of Malaysia and we, as the next generation, have the responsibility to uphold and guard it and pass it on to the next generation. No force shall stop us.