Despite the government's repeated delays over a proposed anti-hopping legislation, the Sultan of Malaysia's richest state has purchased a picture of apes and frogs occupying the country's parliament benches.

Hundreds of apes, including orangutans, baboons, and chimps, shriek, yawn, and stretch along the rows of seats on both sides of the legislative assembly in the picture. Scattered among them are several frogs.

 

According to an Instagram post by his office on Tuesday, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, the monarch of Selangor state, was immediately taken by the artwork and had it installed in his private study area.

Two Instagram photographs showed the king standing next to the painting for scale; the piece, frame and all, was barely taller than his shoulders.
"His Highness hopes to auction off the painting at some point in the future, with the money going to charity," said the caption.

 

The announcement came a day after Malaysia's parliament convened for a special session to discuss constitutional modifications that would have paved the way for a future anti-defection bill. The proposed bill was supposed to be introduced in parliament in March, but it has been postponed twice now, with no new date established.

 

Since the last general election in 2018, 39 of Malaysia's 222 legislators have moved parties, while the country has had three different prime ministers in the same time span. On Monday, Parliament and Law Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar remarked, "This is a clear indicator that our country's democracy is unhealthy and at an alarming level."

 

The Sultan of Selangor is one of Malaysia's nine Malay monarchs.
Every five years, they take turns as King, and in recent years, they have become increasingly vocal about the country's politics.

Is this supposed to be his view of Thailands Senate......I mean ....