In a blistering public attack against BN’s largest component party Umno, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim described its sudden concern for the royalty as hypocrisy that is aimed solely at for political gains.

NONE "The same people who initiated and succeeded in destroying the immunity and special rights of the Malay Rulers now return hypocritically, with the call for the Malays to respect the royalty and defend their sovereignty," he said in labelling Umno a traitor to the monarchy.

Without naming Umno directly, Khalid made it evident that he was referring to the party, in his opening speech at a dialogue on 'Royal Sovereignty: An Institution to be Defended' in Shah Alam today.

"Why did the constitutional crisis happen in 1983 and successively in 1992 and 1993? Why are people are again working to defend the institution of royalty that was marred by the 1983, 1992 and 1993 incidents?"

In answer to his rhetorical questions, Khalid pointed to articles written in the newspapers in those years, on the sequence of events which saw the federal government going toe to toe with the royalty, leading to their legal immunity being removed.

This, he said, is necessary to understand the reality of the subject and to put into perspective the people who are responsible for pulling down the institution of the royalty.

malay sultan malay royalty "Are these modern 'traitors' again using the King and sultans for their own political gain?" he asked.

Umno leaders have been coming out of late with statements urging the Malays to rise up to defend the Malay Rulers from insults allegedly mounted by Pakatan Rakyat.

In 1983 and again in 1992 and 1993, the Umno-led BN government went on a collision course with the Malay Rulers.

This led to constitutional amendments being passed by Parliament to limit the powers and special rights of the Rulers, and strip them of legal immunity.

Sultan upset over bid to question royalty