Honeymoon period over, time for real governance, says King

Photo: Bernama

PETALING JAYA: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia said that he will implement his “true style of governance” after his honeymoon period ends in two weeks.

Sultan Ibrahim also stated that his governing style prioritises the masses and he does not care for criticisms from those who dislike his ways.

His Majesty said this in his royal statement issued in conjunction with the federal awards, medals and honours at an investiture ceremony for the year 2024 on Tuesday (March 19).

“In less than two weeks, it will be two months since I have been in power. When this honeymoon period is over, I will begin my real way of governing.

“I would like to stress that I will uphold the trust of the Malay Rulers to protect the interest of the people and the country. I am not a deity to be worshipped or adorned at events. Neither will I be forced to follow every word nor the will of ministers.

“I sacrifice all my time and energy to govern the country and the people. I do not care if there are parties that dislike me. However, if the majority of the people do not like my ways, I am willing to return to my state. I have got nothing to lose,” said Sultan Ibrahim.

His Majesty also said that there should be fair distribution of development allocations in cities nationwide and not just concentrated in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

“It is now nearly two months since I have stayed in Kuala Lumpur and I can state that the development and infrastructure in the capital city is very advanced compared to the other cities in Malaysia.

“The economic development in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya has opened up more employment opportunities and caused migration to the Federal Territories.

“Due to that, the government was forced to develop more efficient public infrastructure to overcome road congestion and fulfil the needs of urbanites living in densely populated areas.

“The question is if these three Federal Territories are given the development allocations merely because they are governed directly by the Federal Government?

“I hope all cities in the other 13 states are given attention and allocations must be divided fairly to enable a balanced development nationwide.

“If all states are developed together, the migration to the city centre can be lessened and traffic jams can be controlled.

“Everyone knows that I like to drive my own car. Thus, I can see clearly the conditions of the roads and the environment. There are still a few places in Kuala Lumpur which are dirty and poorly maintained.

“I urge Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur to always monitor and increase efforts to elevate the cleanliness in the city. You have many workers who go around the capital - it is impossible not to see the dirty places. Do not wait until I reprimand,” said Sultan Ibrahim.

He also urged the urbanites to maintain the cleanliness of the environment.

“My government is not a rubbish collector. I call upon the authorities to do their duty honestly and sincerely,” said the King.

On the awarding of Federal Territory titles, the King said that awards of titles and medals are to give recognition to individuals who have been meritorious, given services and contributed to the development of the Federal Territory.

“I myself have studied each candidate, listed by the nomination committee and this year, I have decided only candidates that truly deserve it be awarded.

“May these awards further spur them to continue to be of service and models to the community,” said the King.

At the investiture ceremony on Tuesday, His Majesty conferred federal awards, medals and honours on 33 recipients in conjunction with the 2024 Federal Territory Day.

Also present at the investiture ceremony held at Istana Negara was Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as well as Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa were also present.