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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: A Malaysian sultan is embroiled in a rare dispute with the ruling political party after his palace overruled the prime minister's selection of a state official.
The palace of Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin in northeastern Terengganu state stunned politicians late Saturday by appointing a different state chief minister than the candidate favored by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Lawmakers representing Abdullah's United Malays National Organization, or UMNO, submitted a formal protest and threatened to resign unless the palace backed down. The royal row is the latest headache for Abdullah, who is struggling to assert his authority after the March 8 general elections in which his governing coalition held on to power but suffered stinging setbacks. The conflict is particularly sensitive because Mizan is also currently serving his turn as Malaysia's widely respected national king. Nine of Malaysia's states are headed by hereditary sultans and rajas, who take turns serving as the country's constitutional monarch for five-year terms. The sultans' role is largely ceremonial and they generally stay out of politics. However, one of their constitutional duties is to appoint chief ministers and other officials in their states. Usually, the state rulers appoint the choice of the party with a majority in the state legislature. But although UMNO retained its majority in Terengganu in the recent elections, the sultan's palace announced Saturday it was not appointing Idris Jusoh, who has headed Terengganu's administration since 2004 and was UMNO's choice to keep the job. Instead, the palace's Regency Advisory Council named another UMNO lawmaker, Ahmad Said, as chief minister and said he would be sworn in Sunday "in accordance" with the constitution. According to state laws, the chief minister must be a legislator whom the palace believes commands majority support. Palace officials handed Ahmad an appointment letter Sunday but postponed the swearing-in ceremony after Terengganu lawmakers warned that Ahmad could be stripped of his party membership because he disobeyed UMNO by accepting the post. Because he is serving as king, Mizan did not personally make the controversial appointment, leaving the job to his advisory council led by his brother. Nevertheless, political observers say the conflict seems to be fueled by a personal fallout between Mizan and Idris. UMNO representative Rosol Wahid denied their opposition to the appointment was an "act of revolt," but warned that his colleagues would seek a no-confidence vote against any chief minister apart from Idris. "We won't support any other candidate," Rosol told reporters in Terengganu. Fears of a similar crisis surfaced in northern Perlis state when its raja last week rejected Abdullah's nomination for chief minister. But the palace's choice was sworn in with support from lawmakers. The royal spats indicate Malaysia's nobility may be testing its own clout amid suspicions that Abdullah's hold on power has declined after his ruling coalition lost its parliamentary two-thirds majority. The National Front coalition kept control of only eight of Malaysia's 13 states amid public frustration over rising prices, corruption and racial and religious tensions. Top coalition leaders have publicly pledged support for Abdullah, but some members insist he should resign. Among them is another royal: Razaleigh Hamzah, who is a prince in northeastern Kelantan state, has said he is willing to challenge Abdullah for the UMNO presidency in party polls in August. - INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE
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