The Council of Elders was mooted 10 years ago in 2008
And to make sure that this time it does not go wrong, Mahathir personally took over as Prime Minister and appointed his buddy, Tun Daim Zainuddin, to head the Council of Elders or Council of Eminent Persons. That would be safer than allowing someone else to become the Prime Minister while he heads the Council of Elders or Council of Eminent Persons, like how Mahathir had planned back in 2008.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Many Malaysians may not be aware that the Council of Elders set up soon after GE14 in May 2018 — and now changed to Council of Eminent Persons or CEP — was actually mooted ten years ago in 2008. And it was mooted by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad when he met about 1,000 Umno members to discuss the 8th March 2008 general election ‘disaster’.
In the 8th March 2008 general election or GE12, Barisan Nasional lost five states and 82 Parliament seats — after the impressive 21st March 2004 general election when Barisan Nasional won 198 or 91% of the seats in Parliament and managed to wrest back Terengganu from PAS. So they were discussing how that happened and how to make sure Barisan Nasional grabs back lost ground in the next general election in 2013 or so.
Hotel Singgahsana, Petaling Jaya, where the Council of Elders or Council of Eminent Persons was mooted back in 2008
The event was held in the Hotel Singgahsana in Petaling Jaya and the organiser was the (then) recently deposed Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamad Khir Toyo. Mahathir and Mukhriz were both present and were seated on stage alongside Khir Toyo. Current Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali’s sister, Ummi Hafilda Ali, who at that time did not yet wear a tudung and allowed us to feast our eyes on her legs (God bless her soul) was also in attendance.
During that event, Mahathir announced that the next Prime Minister would be ‘guided’ by a Council of Elders, which he would head. This would be just like in the old days when the Raja-Raja Melayu ruled the Malay States but were ‘advised’ by British Advisers. In other words, the next Prime Minister would be a Proxy Prime Minister and Mahathir would be the de facto Prime Minister who would run the country by proxy.
Khir Toyo, who had just got kicked out, organised the event in the Hotel Singgahsana in Petaling Jaya
Well, as it happened, a few months later on 3rd April 2009 the new Prime Minister took over and this new Prime Minister was Najib Tun Razak. But Najib did not set up this Council of Elders as Mahathir had wanted. So Mahathir was not able to become the de facto Prime Minister and run the country by proxy and turn Najib into a Proxy Prime Minister.
And this was Najib’s ‘mistake’ — if you wish to see that as a mistake. If Najib had set up the Council of Elders or Council of Eminent Persons back in 2009 and had appointed Mahathir to head that Council, then there would have been no need for Mahathir to plot his ouster.
Azmin Ali’s sister, Ummi Hafilda Ali, was present the day Mahathir announced the Council of Elders or Council of Eminent Persons in 2008
Of course, in the beginning, the plan was just to oust Najib and replace him with a new Umno President cum Prime Minister. But in July 2015, when that plot failed, Mahathir had no choice but to shift to Plan B, which was to oust Umno and Barisan Nasional so that Najib could be kicked out.
And to make sure that this time it does not go wrong, Mahathir personally took over as Prime Minister and appointed his buddy, Tun Daim Zainuddin, to head the Council of Elders or Council of Eminent Persons. That would be safer than allowing someone else to become the Prime Minister while he heads the Council of Elders or Council of Eminent Persons, like how Mahathir had planned back in 2008.
Back to the future, Yen loans again
