While we rejoice in the successful completion of Putrajaya as the nation's new administrative capital and for which the credit must go entirely to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, it would have been more appropriate had His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong been invited by the government to officiate at this highly symbolic ceremony of great historical and national importance.

Had this been done, it would have removed the public perception, rightly or wrongly, that the prime minister could not resist the temptation to take centrestage even on a non-partisan occasion which should have been used to advance national unity. The Malay rulers on whom Umno is counting to close the Malay political divide should have also been invited to share the nation's joy.