PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim hailed the role of "advocate extraordinaire of constitutional democracy" presently assayed by Perak crown prince Raja Nazrin Shah in the often cacophonous national debate over a slew of troubling questions.

"One of the foundation planks of the Malaysian polity is constitutional monarchy," Anwar told malaysiakini .

"It is reassuring to find a voice from that often silent quarter propound the merits of our founding documents like the Merdeka Constitution," added the former deputy premier.

Anwar said Raja Nazrin's position as heir to the Perak throne, allied to his standing as the son of a former head of the Malaysian judiciary and his education at world-renowned wellsprings of rational inquiry and discourse, all combined to give his public pronouncements "pith and moment at a testing time for the Malaysian nation."

"He has become advocate extraodinaire of constitutional democracy at a time when our democracy is being pulled every which way save the direction it ought to: by the light of our founding documents, its interpretation by our founding fathers, and by the settled jurisprudence on salient aspects," he opined.

The Oxford-educated Raja Nazrin has recently used a series of high profile public occasions where he was guest of honour to hold forth in a tangential manner on a host of contentious issues that have been the subject of often acrimonious public debate.

These pronouncements have been lauded by sections of the public as reassuring expositions of stands taken by leaders who helped found the Malaysian nation.

These stances, the nation's progenitors had contended, were based on the postulates of the Merdeka Constitution.

New channel

Public perception of the meaning of these postulates has been confounded by the pronouncements of present day political leaders that are at odds with the ones held by the country's founding fathers.

This has further roiled the public debate on these matters.

"Amid the bellowing and screeching of recent months over constitutional issues, Raja Nazrin's pronouncements have reassuringly held the middle octaves,"Anwar said.

"His is the voice of recovered and refreshed memory amid the willful even diabolical confusion fomented by politicians who only seek to pander to narrow constituencies."

Anwar hoped that Raja Nazrin would continue to speak out because "adherents of the school of constitutional government in Malaysia have been run ragged by the powers that be who are in stifling control of the public space for healthy debate."

"His voice has opened up a new channel, one that is not easy to shut because of the stature of its proponent and the non-partisan way his expositions are couched.

"Raja Nazrin's role of advocate extraordinaire of constitutionalism is a providential one for our troubled times," claimed Anwar.

"The forces for constitutional governance in Malaysia are fortunate to enjoy his advocacy," he added.