The senior political adviser to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the decree should be understood within the context of the constitutional monarchy, which has long served as a pillar of the nation’s stability.

“A royal decree serves as a reminder born of the wisdom of the royal institution, expressed for the good of the state and its people. It is not a directive in the sense that certain political leaders have misinterpreted it.

“The Selangor ruler’s decree should be viewed in the broader spirit of strengthening unity and bringing together Malaysia’s multiracial society amid an increasingly challenging and uncertain global environment,” Bernama reported him as saying in a Facebook post.

Tengku Zafrul’s remarks come after 80 police reports were lodged against former Damansara MP Tony Pua over his Facebook post on the Rukun Negara and the constitutional monarchy, prompting a police investigation.

In his post, Pua said Malaysians did not “live in a system whereby the monarch can issue binding decrees which legislate all aspects of our lives”.

Prior to that, Sultan Sharafuddin had called on DAP assemblyman Wong Siew Ki and former DAP leader Ronnie Liu to deepen their understanding of the Rukun Negara and show greater respect for the royal institution.

The sultan’s remarks were made amid controversy over Wong and Liu’s responses to his call for a complete ban on pig farming in Selangor.

Tengku Zafrul also said Sultan Sharafuddin’s decree was not solely about Malay unity, but rather how the strength of the Malays and Islam should serve as the foundation of national stability while protecting the interests of all races and religions.

“We must understand and appreciate the reality that in a multiracial society like Malaysia, championing the interests of one community cannot be done by sidelining others.

“The true strength of a nation does not lie in who speaks the loudest, but in the ability of its people to live together with mutual respect and trust,” he said.

Tengku Zafrul also reminded all parties not to politicise the issue in ways that could strain relations among leaders and affect harmony among Selangor’s people.

“Continuous focus must be given to strengthening institutions, fostering unity and building bridges of understanding among races, instead of fuelling division that could ultimately destroy and destabilise our nation and people.

“Let us continue to uphold the five principles of the Rukun Negara as the foundation for a peaceful, harmonious and prosperous society,” he said.