Twin ceremonies for renewal

TWO constitutional federal democracies, both around 250 years old, had ceremonies for their head of state this month.

In Negri Sembilan (founded in 1773), the 77th birthday celebrations for the Yang di-Pertuan Besar as usual saw a diverse range of events being held, starting with prayers (a tahlil in the royal mosque) before sepak takraw, chess and tug-of-war tournaments, cycling and running competitions, as well as arts and crafts activities.

These events, mostly focused in Seri Menanti but with some in other districts, attracted more and more people every year – and from further afield. The businesses who set up stalls and booths around the town seemed very happy with the footfall tournament.

I must remind myself not to commandeer the fancy remote-controlled planes and cars in future: I nearly smashed a beautifully constructed airship into a pillar, and worse, I actually did cause a mini monster truck to collide with a young girl’s leg. The doctor assured me of no damage but the lass refused my offer for unlimited ice cream.

I made slightly fewer mistakes on the musical front, with the opportunity to perform with Negri Sembilan artistes in the Padang: firstly at the Rentak Irama Tradisional I played Moh Dogheh with singer Datuk Aishah (of the Fan Club based in New Zealand in the late 80s), and then at the Konsert Xpresi Dirgahayu 2.0 I reprised Squash the Beef – a song commissioned by the Negri Sembilan Squash Association last year – with the rapper Waris and the singer Suki Low (both of whom received awards from the Ruler this year), before accompanying Hael Husaini (recently declared as a top 10 TikTok influencer of Malaysia) in his hit song Jampi, a ballad that begins with an imposing guitar riff and has powerful violin lines punctuating the piano chords.

After a dazzling display of fireworks, Santesh surprised everyone by singing Apo Nak Dikato (which I performed with the original singer Ito in 2023).

At the state banquet a few days later, I joined Atilia Haron on Sheila Majid’s Dia, before the legendary Datuk Jamal Abdillah joined us for Sandarkan Pada Kenangan.

I hope this sets the stage for much more music education in Negri Sembilan schools this year.

Of course, head of state birthdays also see the celebration of outstanding members of society, and the honours list saw doctors, soldiers, philanthropists, artists, statesmen and job generators receiving awards and medals, but with only 32 individuals receiving the title of Datuk.

In his speech, the Yang di-Pertuan Besar spoke of the importance of proper governance, especially in religious institutions – where abuse of power is especially heinous as the corrupt wear a cloak of religiosity.

It was, throughout all these events, heartwarming to meet so many people – young and old and of so many backgrounds – who not only had good wishes for my father and mother, but who also appreciated the role that a constitutional monarchy can play in our democracy, providing a platform for unity and stability above party politics.

Numerous historians and political entities have argued that the United States of America (founded 1776) was essentially established as an elected monarchy, the powers of the president akin to that of European monarchs, with executive authority theoretically constrained by a bicameral legislature and a supreme court.

Yet, with Donald Trump inaugurated as president at a time when the House of Representatives and Senate are under Republican control, and with a conservative majority in the Supreme Court, such checks and balances may not be as effective.

Certainly, the bending of the knee of previous critics of President Trump – including tech moguls and other billionaires – has shown that the fear of action is enough to sway people.

And as for the actions themselves, the flurry of executive orders signed on the first day has already impacted many people, especially migrants and people employed under diversity schemes.

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s congratulatory message said: “As Asean Chair in 2025, I warmly welcome President Trump to Malaysia, an opportunity to reaffirm America’s engagement with the region,” going on to say “President Trump has demonstrated a distinctive way of addressing pressing issues, as shown by his pivotal role in the Gaza ceasefire”.

Diplomatic missives are always polite and hopeful, but in the first few conferences and diplomatic gatherings of the year I have certainly observed an optimism that the occupant of the White House – with his straight-talking and transactional style – will enable not just economic opportunities for Malaysia, but also even better humanitarian outcomes, as the capacity of Malaysian civil society organisations has grown sufficiently to navigate geopolitics while making the case for better rights and policies domestically.

Let’s hope that this optimism is well-founded!

Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin is the founding president of Ideas.

The views expressed here are the writer’s own.