The clarion call by the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah, that the Malay rulers must change with the times is very timely. Malaysia is the only country in this world which has nine hereditary rulers whereas other countries in this region have only one monarch although their land size is much bigger compared to ours. Two examples are Thailand and Japan.

The Malay rulers should understand that as the guardians of the Islamic faith, their manner and attitude should reflect good Islamic traits. And most important, they must remember that they and their immediate families shouldn't abuse their positions to enrich themselves.

They must remember that - in their private capacity - they have no immunity from the law.

History has many stories including that of one heir to the state throne who was charged with murder in the 70s but was later pardoned by his father, the ruler of the state. Recent events like the murder of a minor prince's second wife and the sale of honorary titles do not speak well of the supposedly dignified positions of royalty in our country.

We also read of many cases of the state rulers' children and relatives getting involved in mischief and beating up patrons at nightspots or using their family's position to gain an unfair advantage in obtaining business projects.

Nowadays, the newer generations with a better education are more critical in their thinking of royalty's 'unbecoming conduct' compared to previous generations who tend to revere their rulers.

From the historical perspective, we can see that monarchial empires have all faded away from the mighty maharajas of India to the patriarch of the Pahlavi dynasty who once ruled from the grand Peacock Throne, the Shah of Iran.

The former were disposed off by the British while the latter was exiled after a popular revolt.

Our modern monarchs should look at history and also to Thailand and Japan where the monarchs are known for their humble attitudes and their affinity with the public at large.