In another royal rebuke to DAP, Selangor ruler hits out at Guan Eng, thanks Najib for LRT3

The Sultan of Selangor today thanked jailed former prime minister Najib Razak for agreeing to his request to construct the LRT3 Shah Alam line, and criticised two DAP leaders for impeding the project, while reminding all political parties that none should claim credit for the RM16.6 billion project, which was initiated 10 years ago but subsequently faced a series of delays, including those caused by the Covid-19 crisis.

“I do not want any particular party to take the opportunity to claim that the successful implementation of LRT3 is the result of their efforts alone. In fact, this project is the result of continuous planning, commitment and cooperation from various parties across several administrations for the benefit of the people of Selangor as a whole,” said Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

On Sunday, the 38km Shah Alam LRT line, the third phase of the urban rail network comprising 20 stations from Johan Setia in Klang to Bandar Utama in Petaling Jaya, was officially launched by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Soon after the launch, many took to social media to remind current government leaders that it was Najib who got the project rolling, sharing pictures of the former leader at a groundbreaking ceremony in 2016, which was also attended by then Selangor menteri besar Mohamed Azmin Ali.

A post on Najib’s Facebook also welcomed the project’s completion after years of delay, as well as months of technical errors that postponed its launch.

In his statement today, Sultan Sharafuddin took a swipe at former finance minister Lim Guan Eng and his special officer Tony Pua for questioning the project.

He noted that construction of the project was halted for 18 months following the change of government in 2018.

He took Guan Eng and Pua to task for reducing the size of the project under the pretext that it was a mega project, adding that “they do not understand the purpose of constructing the LRT3 project, which is to meet the wants and needs of the people”.

“I would like to emphasise that this is not a mega project nor is it a project for bragging, but rather for the benefit and well-being of my people,” he said, while expressing appreciation that Anwar had agreed to restore the project to its original plan.

It is the second time in less than two months that DAP leaders have been rebuked by the sultan.

Earlier this year, DAP’s Seri Kembangan representative Wong Siew Ki and former state executive councillor Ronnie Liu were singled out by the ruler over their reservations about a royal decree to end pig farming in Selangor, following public complaints about environmental pollution.

In May, he urged the duo, as well as all state assemblymen in Selangor, to refresh their understanding of the Rukun Negara by frequently visiting Dataran Selangor in Shah Alam, where a Rukun Negara Monument Plaque lists the five national principles.

He said politicians should “understand and appreciate the meaning of the Rukun Negara so that they become citizens who know how to respect the sovereignty of the royal institution and uphold decency and good behaviour”.

Following this, Pua, who is the policy adviser to DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, defended Wong and Liu, and said decrees issued by sultans have no place in the constitution, which limits the powers of the Malay rulers to specific roles.