CEP’s services very much needed, says PM
BEIJING: The Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) has not been disbanded, as far as Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is concerned.
He said this was because the council’s services were very much needed. He said he never said the CEP would only be needed for 100 days.
“He (Daim) said 100 days. I never said I needed him only for 100 days to carry out some of my work.
“Daim has access to a wealth of information, so it is imperative that he continues his work,” Dr Mahathir said at the end of his five-day trip to China.
CEP was set up by Dr Mahathir on May 12 with the objective of advising him on socio-economic and financial matters.
Its members include former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, former Petronas president and chief executive officer Tan Sri Hassan Marican, billionaire Robert Kuok and prominent economist Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram.
Daim, who chairs the CEP, had at a press conference on Monday said the council had ended its 100-day tenure.
He said the council, which held its final meeting on Aug 17, has fulfilled the mandate given to it within the specified period.
He said CEP had completed its report and recommendations and would submit it to Dr Mahathir when he returned from China.
“Our work is done. All the mandates given have been completed. All suggestions will be presented to the prime minister upon his return from China,” he said at Ilham Tower in Kuala Lumpur.