Council of elders concept not in consitution
A council of elders to run the country as suggested by former rime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad is not provided for in the Federal Consituion and contrary to the Westminster system of government.
KUALA LUMPUR: A council of elders to run the country as suggested by former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad is not provided for in the Federal Constitution and contrary to the Westminster system of government, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak.
Salleh said that Dr Mahathir mooted the idea of a presidential council of elders in 2008.
“More than seven years later and he is still pushing for that to be implemented although there is no such system in the Constitution or in a Westminster system of government,” he posted on his blog sskeruak.blogspot.com yesterday.
Salleh was responding to an English news daily analysis ‘De facto PM role for Dr M?’ which told of Dr Mahathir’s plan to have a council of elders to advise the Prime Minister of his choice.
If he wanted such a council, Salleh asked, why did he not change the system when he was Prime Minister for 22 years?
Salleh said that Dr Mahathir wanted to change the current Prime Minister and then let Malaysians decide on what system they preferred after Malaysia got a new Prime Minister.
“Since Dr Mahathir wants to allow Malaysians to decide their own future, what if Malaysians decide they still want Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as Prime Minister?
“Is Dr Mahathir prepared to agree to this?
“While he is prepared to allow Malaysians to decide what system they want, Dr Mahathir wants to dictate who should be Prime Minister and will not allow Malaysians to make that decision,” Salleh said.
At a press conference yesterday, Dr Mahathir admitted suggesting a council of elders to guide the prime minister in leading the government.
He made the suggestion to the G25 group of prominent Malays promoting moderation and called it a necessary move since the Cabinet would likely greenlight all of the prime minister’s decisions, he said.
“In the system that we have now, the prime minister chooses his own Cabinet, and he chooses people who will support him all the way.
“And of course that means whatever he does will be okayed by the Cabinet.
“Whereas an outside council appointed by other people will not agree with the prime minister all the time. They can give their opinion.
“Maybe the prime minister would not accept, but at least he would hear other opinions,” he said.
In a recent interview with a news portal, G25 member Tawfik Ismail said that Dr Mahathir met the group and suggested that the next prime minister be advised by a “council of elders”.
Dr Mahathir told the group the council of elders will ensure the next prime minister was better than Datuk Seri Najib Razak, said Tawfik.
Tawfik said he could not accept such an argument, as it would be undemocratic to have an unelected council of elders dictating the prime minister.
He said G25 was non-partisan and wished to work with whoever was in power, rather than attempt to change the government.
Dr Mahathir said yesterday he was aware that Tawfik did not like him, adding that the latter had “obviously come with bad intentions” to the meeting.
“In front of me, in front of me, he was very nice and supportive, but when he went out, that is another matter,” he said.
The former prime minister yesterday also said he is prepared to face the consequences of speaking out against the leadership.
“When you stick out your neck, be prepared to have it chopped off,” he said when asked if he was ready to be charged or arrested, since the investigation papers on him would be referred to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) for further action in two weeks’ time.
He added that he did not care what others thought of him, and would continue speaking out if he felt something was wrong.
“I will have my say. This is supposed to be a democratic country with freedom of speech. The moment I mention that the prime minister should be changed, that becomes crime.
“Under which law? In any country, asking the prime minister to step down is normal.”
He added that under Najib’s leadership, the country was “half-way” towards a stage where corruption becomes institutionalised and graft is a “fact of life”.
“When we find that people accept people who are corrupt, are very supportive of corrupt people, very soon everybody will be corrupt,” he said.
Police had recorded Mahathir’s statement at his office in Kuala Lumpur on Friday over his criticism of the prime minister.
The authorities had opened several investigation papers after police reports were made against Mahathir, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said last month.
These investigations were related to Section 500 of the Penal Code for defamation.
Dr Mahathir also said yesterday that anyone interested in bringing change to the country should focus on removing the leadership first.
The retired statesman admitted he was only concerned with ousting Najib, and that changing the system should be left to the next leader.
“As far as I’m concerned, I think unless the leadership is changed, don’t expect change,” he said when asked to respond to social activist Datuk Ambiga Sreevenasan’s statement that she was willing to work with the former prime minister if he agreed to change the country’s system of government instead of focusing solely in Najib’s removal.
On Monday, Ambiga said civil societies should not agree with an agenda that focused solely on “replacing one guy”.
“I’m very concerned about... change in the leadership. But whatever comes after that is up to the leader to decide,” said Mahathir.
“My first priority is to get Najib to step down, that’s why I joined the (Bersih 4) demonstration. As to others, it is up to the majority to decide.”
Najib has been under fire over the RM2.6 billion deposited into his personal accounts by an unknown Middle Eastern donor ahead of the 2013 general election as well as controversies surrounding his brainchild, stateowned investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB)
These have prompted Najib’s critics, led by Mahathir, to call for his resignation.
Malaysia’s longest serving prime minister had attended the Bersih 4 rally in August. He said he did not support the electoral reform group’s calls for institutional change and was there because he wanted Najib to step down.
At the rally, Mahathir had talked about Najib’s taking of funds, which resulted in the retired statesman being questioned by police for criminal defamation last Friday.