Malay monarchs can use tools that can be used in the political structure, such as the trend of new media technology, and within the scope of the monarchy given by the Constitution, the interests and resources of the royal institutions are greatly reduced, and the contemporary society is used.The continuing feudal psychology can construct a stable and strong public opinion foundation.At the time of political parties, the influence gradually expanded and further enhanced the transcendent royal status.
On January 31st this year, Malaysia ushered in the new head of the head of the head of the head of the head of the head of the head of Sultan Ibrahim.Perhaps many people will think that the constitutional constitutional Malaysian monarch is the Constitution of the Westminster System of the British colonial government, but many scholars mentioned in the research on the Malay royal family thatThe West, especially the constitutional monarchy of the European royal family, should be understood by the historical and social context of Southeast Asia, even the historical and social context of the Malaysian world.
The constitutional constitutional constitutional monarchy of Malaysia has significant particularity. First, combines the constitutional monarchy of the Westminster System,+that is, the division of the head of state and the Prime Minister.It is a virtual head of state and has a symbolic position.At the same time, Malay ruler has related Malay culture and religious power, and is a protector and Islamic leader in Malaysia.Second, Malaysia has nine Malaysian ruler's rotation as a mechanism for heads of state. It has been in peace since independence.The third is the mechanism of the rulers meeting. It consists of nine Malay ruler and four heads of state. As a national consulting agency, it uses the influence of the ruler of each state.
These particularity are the constitutional monarchy under the constitutional framework.However, since the Malacca dynasty (1400 AD), as a royal institution that has been stretched to this day, it has survived the period of the European powers in Southeast Asia, the modernization process of the industrial revolution, the war of Japanese invasion in Southeast Asia, and the independent movement of the autonomous movement after World War II.Even in the early days of the founding of the Malay royal family, the foundation of the country and the constitutional constitution, as well as the fullness in the era of Mahathir's authoritarian era. Finally, when the political parties gradually weakened, the Malay monarch took the globalization and digital tide.The potential.
The Malaysian -style monarchy and the royal institutions carrying, how to survive, reshape, revive, and re -rise in the changing historical trends is a valuable research direction in Southeast Asian research.
Scholar Anthony Milner mentioned two points when discussing the cause of the Malay royal family: first, the continuation of localization Kerajaan tradition; 2. modern innovation politics.Milner's analysis of the local Malaysian dynasty comes from its famous book Kerajaan: Kerajaan: Malay Polical Culture on the EVE of Colonial Rule).
The awarding and award -winning mechanism in Malay culture (NAMA System) under the feudal system, the king or Sudan of the Malay Kingdom is used as a symbol of calling back and unity.Under the feudal kingdom, the Sudan cannot fully control political, economic and military power. Instead, the Malay chiefs on the local area are actual managers.And the power of awarding the medal to control the distracted Malaysia chiefs scattered in various places.The awarding mechanism for the awarding and award -winning mechanism is retained in the modern Malaysian political culture, forming the historical continuity under the social context of the Malaysian Peninsula.This contains the social values connected by the entire mechanism, including loyalty, obedience, and reciprocity, thereby constructing the relationship between Sudan and subjects.
This implied feudal values, in the opinion of scholar Syed Hussein Alatas, is a feudal psychology.A kind of ideology of culture has greatly influenced and reflected in modern political culture led by political parties.However, this deep and historic feudal psychology is dominating Malay political culture in another way.After the UMNO, which has been unique for more than half a century, gradually slightly slightly micro -discussions are no longer dominated by political parties, but return to the control of the Malay royal family to further grasp the political statement extended from this values with a transcendent political status.Essence
The political system of traditional Kerajaan is not based on the boundaries of the state, but the political identity centered on the Sudan (that is, the people are the subjects of a certain Sudan).By creating the religious legitimacy of the image of the Sacred King and the monarchy, the Kerajaan system establishes the political authority of the Sudan's prestige and fame, thereby controlling the dominant relationship between the Sudan and the people.
The Johor dynasty drafted Malaysia's first modern constitution
The Malay royal family also has an important strategy that allows it to survive, that is, with the self -innovation of the times, self -improvement, self -reconstruction, self -adaptive ability, toughness, and energy.Different scholars have proposed different examples to support this argument.
Among them, Milner takes the Johor Tian Menggong Dynasty as an example.Sudan Abu Bata drafted the first modern constitution in Malaysia in 1895.The Johor Constitution, which integrates the British Constitution into the traditional culture of Malay, was innovative in the colonial world at that time.At that time, Johor did not formally have colonial officials stationed in the UK (Johor only signed a treaty with the British colonial government in 1914).
In addition to the Constitution of Johor, the Johor dynasty also ordered the court writer to write Hikayat Johor to imitate the British to define the land boundaries, count the population, and list the differences between the Johor government and the Sudan in modern political language, showing that its modern attemptHeart and the self -innovation ability of the trend of the times.In addition, the Johor dynasty also began to establish a modern bureaucratic system, postal system, and army, building public facilities, providing modern education for domestic subjects, and imitating school education courses in Singapore.
Another self -reshaping toughness is the Perak royal family.Perak was the earliest to fall into the British colonial government and was attributed to the state of the Malaysian Federation. The British colonial government was stationed in the affairs of politics and administration. The Perak Sultan was basically deprived of important political and economic power.
However, at the time of independence, Sultan Azlana, who has the background of the judge, participated in the initiative of the 1948 Malaysian Federal Plan. His son Sudan Nazyl also published the contemporary Malaysian royal family in 2004 to redefine the contemporary royal family.Characters and legitimacy.This is regarded by scholars Kobkua Suwannathat-Pian and Andrew Harding as a revival of a royal institution, and Haldin even called it Nazlin-style monarchy.The "Nazlin -style monarchy" is named after the current Perak Sudan Nazlin Sand. He has a doctorate degree in Harvard's political economy and government, redefining and discussing the position, power, and obligations of monarchs in the new era under the democratic politics of parliament., Responsibility, authority and legitimacy, provide a strong discussion foundation for the contemporary Malay royal family.
In the 1990s, under Mahathir authoritative rule, the Malay ruler was cut power, and under the definition of the Nazlin -style monarchy, Malay ruler showed people with a new positive image, which was mainly reflected in charity.Activities, care for the people, serve the people, love the people, and high -level intellectuals advocate good governance political expositions.
Developed into the mainstay of supervising politics
Based on this, the Nazlin -style monarchy has gradually developed into the mainstay of the Malaysian rulers to supervise politicians and political parties, and also play the role of the father of the society.The Malay ruler will propose sharp criticisms on any disadvantages of the government's misconduct, incorrect management, and corruption power in a timely manner.Such a Malay monarch's image was even more important during the "One Malaysian scandal".As the popular science is exaggerated, the new royal character is undoubtedly exceeded the understanding and role of people's responsibility and role in opposing the Constituent monarch.
Contemporary Malaysian ruler continues the characteristics of traditional Malay political culture, that is, can adapt to the initiative of the trend of different times, and post it in different periodsInnovative improvement strategy.In the low tide, you will lower your figure; when the strong wind rises, it will take advantage of the momentum.Malay monarchs can use the tools that can be used in the political structure, such as the trend of new media technology, and within the scope of the monarchy given by the Constitution, the interests and resources of the royal institutions are greatly used, and the use of the feudal psychology of the continuation of contemporary society can be used to construct the constructionStable and strong public opinion.At the time of political parties, occupying the position of dominant voice, gradually expanding the influence, and further enhanced the transcendent royal status.
Many scholars have a deep research interest on the toughness and scalability of the Malay royal institutions: how can a traditional old era system continue for hundreds of years under the trend of modern society?The flexibility and strategies of the Malacca dynasty inherited by marine trade, maybe it is worth pondering.
The author is a doctoral candidate for Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore, a Malaysian current affairs commentator
