THE people have the right to question the king if he acts outside the bounds of the law, said former minister Rais Yatim.

Rais, a former Umno veteran who campaigned for Pakatan Harapan during the 14th general election and joined Bersatu earlier this month, said a blog post on the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong’s expenditure was not meant to “hurt” or “insult” the monarch.

“From a socially responsible point of view, the actions of all rulers can be scrutinised,” Rais told a forum on preserving the royal institution, organised by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, in Shah Alam.

“Why? Because there are no laws that prevent the questioning of the behaviour of rulers when they act outside the bounds of the law.”

“Is excessive spending outside the bounds of the law? Well, yes and no. However, if it exceeds the budget that has been allocated to the palace, the people have the right to raise questions.

“It is money from taxpayers, not money from other sources. Under the Constitution, it is money from the consolidated fund, where every sen must be accounted for,” Rais told an audience of some 200 people.

Rais was asked to comment on the blog post by veteran journalist A. Kadir Jasin, who said that in the 16 months since Sultan Muhammad V ascended the throne until April this year, RM256.9 million had been allocated for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for the purposes of accommodation and the maintenance of the king’s residence and palace.

The former New Straits Times Press group editor-in-chief and Bersatu member raised the ire of the opposition, Barisan Nasional, who said it was an insult to the king.

Kadir was media and communications chief for the Council of Eminent Persons but has since resigned.

Rais said the objective of Kadir’s blog post appeared to be an attempt to determine how the money was spent.

Rais added the role of the king could be expanded to offset the executive branch of government “that might become excessively powerful in the future”.

“In our Constitution, the Agong is mentioned 480 times. It is not just few times. This shows that the role of the our king is not limited.” – June 25, 2018.