Royals speaking up against excess 'This country belongs to all Malaysians regardless of their race, and everyone has a right to feel as Malaysians.' If this statement was made by our Prime Minister, I would not give this statement a second look. In my opinion he has lost a lot of credibility and has not demonstrated able leadership. This statement was made by Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who is the Sultan of Selangor, and immediately a lot of thinking Malaysians have woken up and lauded his weighty words.

Another royal, the Crown Prince of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, called on Malaysians to promote unity by protecting the integrity of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion. His words in the last few weeks have made me feel more Malaysian than all the fluff uttered by our politicians in the last few years. Compare these words with statements uttered by the ruling UMNO party, and you will see a sea of difference in tone, sincerity and leadership.

Perhaps we will all have something to think about during our Merdeka come August 31st. Perhaps this country is stronger than the sum of all our dirty politicians put together. Perhaps we can feel more like brothers and sisters at least for a little while as that 50th anniversary of Merdeka draws near.  ¶ 10:43 AM