Khairy: Disband CEP if it continues to overstep boundaries
Rembau MP suggests council be dissolved if it continues to overstep authority
REMBAU MP cites Tun Daim Zainuddin’s visit to China to renegotiate Putrajaya’s loans and contracts as the second such instance of the council overstepping its boundaries.
KHAIRY Jamaluddin has called for the Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) to be dissolved if it continues to overstep its authority. The Rembau member of parliament said the cabinet should look into the matter if the council continued to act beyond its prescribed role as an advisory body.
“If it continues to overstep its advisory role, I suggest that it be dissolved.
“When there is a situation where it can represent the government in bilateral talks, this creates an issue of accountability,” he said at the Parliament lobby.
He was referring to CEP chairman Tun Daim Zainuddin’s visit to China to renegotiate Putrajaya’s loans and contracts as the second of such instances of the council overstepping its authority.
“Why does Daim have to supersede the prime minister or the foreign minister?
“People need to know the content of the discussion Daim had with Chinese leaders.”
“Where is the source of CEP’s power? There is a clash of interests.”
CEP, he noted, was formed to only advise the government.
He said the council had overstepped its mandate by allegedly summoning then chief justice Tun Md Raus Sharif and Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin.
He said the former administration had advisers, but it never overstepped its boundaries by “ordering members of the judiciary around”.
On how the body could be disbanded as it reported directly to the prime minister and sidestep the role of the cabinet, Khairy said it was up to the prime minister.
“It is not a legal entity and it was set up before (the full) cabinet (was formed). Therefore, it’s the prime minister’s decision.
“He can, at any time, dissolve it.”
Ayer Hitam MP and MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong urged the government to stipulate the power of CEP.
“We want to know what are its power and jurisdiction, and whether it can make decisions on behalf of the government.
“We’ve seen Daim being given a special mission to China.”
Khairy had earlier in the Dewan Rakyat questioned CEP’s role.
During the ministers’ question time, he insinuated that CEP appeared to be more powerful than its stated advisory role, as seen in its purported ability to order Raus to resign from the top judicial position.
He questioned the extent of CEP’s influence by alluding to Daim’s visit to China as well as its member Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Abdul Aziz’s appointment to chair both Permodalan Nasional Bhd and Sime Darby Property Bhd.
“When will this unelected CEP be abolished?” he asked Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong.
Liew reminded Khairy that CEP’s establishment was the norm as previous BN administrations had also set up special advisory bodies.
The exchange took place when Liew was replying to Datuk Rozman Isli’s (BN-Labuan) question on what advice CEP had given to the government for institutional reforms and which reforms had been implemented.
In his reply, Liew said the government was still looking into the advice given and that CEP would give further advice in the future.