Malaysia's new power brokers - Part 1: Raja Nazrin

Malaysia's new power brokers - Part 1: Raja Nazrin
Malaysian Insider - 21 March 2008

SOME Malaysians believe that the best candidate to lead this country did not contest the elections.

Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, the erudite, urbane Regent of Perak has won the support of many with his common touch and willingness to speak candidly on a range of delicate issues which have troubled Malaysians over the past few years.

In 2006, just after a clutch of Umno politicians spooked the country with their sabre-rattling speeches at the party’s general assembly, the Oxford and Harvard-educated Raja Nazrin provided the balm with his sensible comments, reminding all that race relations was not a zero-sum game and scolding the irresponsible loose-cannons.

Since then, the heir to the Perak throne has used all his speaking engagements to talk about the supremacy of the Constitution, the need for a strong judiciary, the need to fight corruption and why every citizen must feel that their place under the Malaysian sun is guaranteed.

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