In a statement, the party’s secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said Pua’s response had heightened public anxieties.

The former Damansara MP said on Tuesday that the powers of the monarch were strictly limited to defined aspects such as Malay customs, Islam, and constitutional roles such as the appointment of menteris besar and approval for the dissolution of state assemblies.

Pua, the policy adviser to DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook, said Malaysians did not “live in a system whereby the monarch can issue binding decrees which legislate all aspects of our lives”.

Selangor’s Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah had earlier called for DAP assemblyman Wong Siew Ki and former DAP leader Ronnie Liu to better understand the Rukun Negara and respect the royal institution.

The statement came amid controversy surrounding Wong and Liu’s response to the sultan’s call for a complete end to pig farming in the state.

Umno subsequently slammed Pua for disrespecting the royalty, saying he had been rude.

Takiyuddin said that the sultan’s statement must be viewed in the context of calling for moderation in order to prevent the fanning of racial sentiments or disrespect for the royal institution.

“Unfortunately, Pua’s response only heightened public anxieties apart from sparking an unnecessary controversy at a time when temperatures are high and racial ties are strained,” he said.

He added that any response to the Malay rulers must be prudent and respectful.

He said the issues Pua raised could be perceived as related to governance but could also polarise society if debated in an emotionally charged environment and politicised.

Takiyuddin also criticised the practice of hiding behind the Federal Constitution or the definition of the constitutional monarchy to question a sultan’s decree when it does not align with particular interests, saying this only reveals a hypocritical and opportunistic nature.

“It does not in any way prove that they are patriotic or respect the law,” he said without giving specific examples.