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They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and observers of Malaysian politics may have a few choice ones after noting a recent purchase made by the Sultan of Selangor, Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

According to The Star on Apr. 12, the sultan bought an unusual painting for his private study room.

It depicts the Malaysian parliament, the Dewan Rakyat, with its benches occupied not by Members of Parliament, but by primates and amphibians.

Different species of each animal were seen, including chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, frogs and toads.

The Star also claimed that the man presiding over parliament bore a resemblance to Malaysia's current Speaker, Azhar Azizan Harun.

The Star also reported that the sultan intends to auction off the painting and donate the proceeds to charity, citing the official Instagram account of the Selangor royal household.

MPs on the hop

It may or may not be relevant to note that in Malaysia, a frog or katak is a slang term for politicians who defect from their party and join another. This has led to things like the collapse of state governments.

A bill to prohibit such party-hopping is working its way through the legislative process, but Malaysian Communications Minister Annuar Musa said it needs further study before being tabled in parliament, according to Bernama.

On Apr. 11, The Straits Times reported that Malaysian lawmakers deferred their vote on the proposed law, and instead referred it to a parliamentary select committee.

In Singapore, Article 46 (2) (b) of the Constitution holds that an MP's seat becomes vacant if they cease to be a member of, is expelled or resigns from the party for which they stood in the election.

This law was enacted in 1963 by then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew after defections from legislative assembly members, which makes it older than independent Singapore.

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Top image from Selangor Royal Instagram.

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