KUALA KANGSAR(Malaysia): Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak has called for an end to excessive politicking, saying that the country's peace must not be sacrificed because of certain leaders' political ambitions.

"The interest of the people who voted for the government needs to be given priority," he said after receiving a delegation from Gagasan Melayu Perak, whose president Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Helmi Ismail pledged their loyalty to the sultan.

They also submitted a memorandum to the sultan pledging to defend the Perak royalty, Islam, Malay as the national language and the special rights of the Malays.

Sultan Azlan said that although Malaysia was a multiracial country, it was still based on the history, political evolution and spirit of Malay nationalism.

He stressed that the Malays needed an assurance that their status, as enshrined in the Federal Constitution, was not threatened while the rights of other races were protected.

"It is the understanding and agreement under the social contract that enables the country to be successful, harmonious and stable," he said.