KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 – Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak said 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.
“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,” Salleh posted on his blog sskeruak.blogspot.com on Tuesday.
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 also 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.
