Mahathir and Anwar regret what they did in March 1993
In March 1993, Mahathir and Anwar pushed for the amendments to the Constitution to remove the powers of the Palace and the Conference of Rulers so that Bills can be passed into law without the need for royal assent or the signature of the Agong. Today, Mahathir and Anwar jointly-sign a letter asking for the Agong and the Conference of Rulers to do what the Constitution no longer allows them to do.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
There are two very interesting bits of news today:
Anwar, Dr M issue joint statement against NSC Act
Anwar mum on whether he’ll forgive Dr M
You can click those two links to read about the joint-statement that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim signed regarding their opposition to the National Security Council (NSC) Act 2016. Mahathir and Anwar allege that ‘this Act has sidelined the powers and roles of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Conference of Malay Rulers in a crucial issue concerning the nation’s security and the liberty of its people.’
But then this was the very reason why Mahathir and Anwar amended Articles 32, 38, 42, 63, 72 and 181 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia back in March 1993 in what became known as The Constitutional Crisis.
Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah was actually bitterly opposed to these amendments because, according to Razaleigh, this removed the checks and balances that the Monarchy offers and if a dictator takes over as Prime Minister then he can push through any laws that he wants without the Rulers being able to do anything about it.
It is best, argued Razaleigh, that the country maintains some form of safety net so that if certain Bills that are not favourable to the rakyat or country are pushed through Parliament then the Rulers can refuse to sign those Bills and they would not become law.
Mahathir and Anwar, however, were adamant that the powers of the Rulers to block these Bills must be removed so that the ruling government will not be hindered with intervention from the Palace. In short, Mahathir and Anwar wanted the palace to be sidelined and removed totally from the equation.
Recently, Mahathir apologised for this ‘mistake’ he committed in March 1993, which, Mahathir said, allows for laws such as the National Security Council (NSC) Act 2016 to be passed even if His Majesty the Agong does not sign the Bill. Anwar, however, is yet to apologise, even if his apology is not sincere just like Mahathir’s apology.
More than 20 years ago Mahathir and Anwar wanted the need for ‘Royal Assent’ to be removed so that Umno and Barisan Nasional can do what it pleases and pass any laws that it wants to without any ‘interference’ from the Palace or the Conference of Rulers. Today, Mahathir and Anwar get together to sign a statement asking the Palace and/or the Conference of Rulers to step in and do something.
Mahathir and Anwar need to make up their minds. More than 30 years ago they said Malaysia must be turned into a republic and when the Malays rejected that idea they turned Malaysia into a pseudo-republic by amending the Constitution to remove the Palace and the Conference of Rulers from the equation. Now Mahathir and Anwar do a u-turn and ask the Rulers to take back the powers that they removed from Their Highnesses in March 1993.
What the hell are these two Mamaks trying to do? Can’t they decide what they want?
Anyway, in case it has not dawned on you by now, the real game plan here is that Mahathir and Anwar realise that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak cannot be brought down using the 1MDB issue. For almost two years they have tried in vain. Even the Rulers are not lifting a finger in support of Mahathir.
So now they are trying to bodek the Rulers by using the National Security Council (NSC) Act 2016 as the catalyst. Mahathir and Anwar are suggesting that the Rulers must take back the powers that they had before March 1993. Mahathir and Anwar are hoping that this will get the Rulers on their side and that the Agong or the Conference of Rulers will sack Najib.
The problem is Mahathir and Anwar made the Rulers toothless in March 1993 and there is very little they can do. Anyway, as the First Agong, Tuanku Abdul Rahman, said: the Agong cannot sack the Prime Minister whereas the Prime Minister can sack the Agong.
Well, that was what the First Agong said in response to the suggestion that he remove the First Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman.
