Mahathir brings his fight with the Rulers to the next level

Mahathir makes his final move to abolish the monarchy and turn Malaysia into a republic

(CNA) – The ruling party of a state can reject a chief minister candidate chosen by the sultan through a vote of no confidence in the assembly, said Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Wednesday (Apr 24).

In a blog post, he reiterated that it is the prerogative of election winners to name state chief ministers. The comments come on the heels of disagreements between Dr Mahathir and the Johor royal family.

“The party winning the election would name the Prime Minister (or the Chief Minister – Menteri Besar) and the constitutional head would endorse,” Dr Mahathir wrote.

“Should the constitutional monarch refuse to endorse and proposes his own candidate and endorses him, the winning party can reject him in the assembly – ‘dewan’, through a vote of non-confidence.”

Dr Mahathir’s post comes more than a week after the new Johor chief minister Sahruddin Jamal was sworn in before Johor ruler Sultan Iskandar Ibrahim.

The previous chief minister Osman Sapian had stepped down, following talk that Pakatan Harapan leaders were unsatisfied with his performance.

Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Ibrahim said it was his father Sultan Ibrahim who ordered the chief minister to be replaced, while Dr Mahathir insisted that the decision lay with the ruling party of the state.

In response, the sultan warned against interference in his state’s affairs because the “sovereign state still has a sultan”.

On Wednesday, Dr Mahathir listed the events that led to the adoption of Malaysia’s federal constitution. It established that the country will be a democracy where people would choose the government, and that rulers are constitutional heads without executive power.

He noted that the respective state constitutions of Johor and Terengganu were nullified when the Federation of Malaya was formed.

“Accordingly on the 9th of May, 2018, the people of Malaysia went to the polls to elect the government of (the Federation) Malaysia and the governments of the states,” Dr Mahathir said.

“It is important that everyone concerned respects the constitution and abide by it. Failure to do so would negate the rule of law.”

ROYAL FAMILY AND PEOPLE ARE INSEPARABLE: NEW CHIEF MINISTER

Meanwhile, Dr Sahruddin, who chaired his first state executive council meeting on Wednesday morning, quashed talks that he and the new line-up were handpicked by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) president Muhyiddin Yassin.

There were rumours that Mr Muhyiddin had selected new members for the executive council, ignoring a top-level decision on not needing a reshuffle, MalayMail reported.

“This is my own team that will serve the people. There is no ‘Team A’ or ‘Team B,’” Dr Sahruddin said.

The chief minister said he would strive to strike a balance between demands of the federal and the Johor government, adding that Johor has its own customs and ways of getting things done.

In Johor, he said, the royal institution and the people are inseparable.

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THE MALAYSIAN CONSTITUTION

Mahathir Mohamad

1. When the MacMichael Treaties (or agreements) were signed, the states of Malaysia became a colony of the British. The Malayan Union would be ruled entirely by the British. The Malays could no longer claim ownership of the states. There no longer was a Tanah Melayu or Malay Land.

2. As one, the Malays rose in protest. Such was their unity that the British had to back downand abrogated all the MacMichael Treaties. The British agreed to replace the Malayan Union with the Federation of Malaya. Officially the accepted name was the “Persekutuan Tanah Melayu”. It reverted to being a protectorate by treaty.

3. The Government of the Federation of Malaya was led by the High Commissioner as the Chief Executive, presiding over the Executive Council and the Legislative Council. All members were nominated by the High Commissioner.

4. In 1955 the British decided to hold partial election for 52 of the 98 seats of the Federal Legislative Council.

5. The British believed that no single party could win more than 49 seats to claim a right to form a majority Government.

6. But in the event the Alliance of UMNO, MCA and MIC won 51 of the 52 seats and was able to claim the right to form a home-rule Government.

7. Immediately there was a clamour among the people and the parties in the Government for independence.

8. Negotiations were held in London and eventually it was agreed that Malaya would become independent in 1957.

9. In preparation for this, the Reid Commission was tasked with drawing up the independent Federal Constitution.

10. It was agreed that Malaya would be a democracy where the people would choose the Government. The rulers would be constitutional heads without executive power. Their position would be guaranteed by the Constitution which would be the supreme law of the country.

11. The party winning the election would name the Prime Minister (or the Chief Minister – Menteri Besar) and the constitutional head would endorse.

12. Should the constitutional monarch refuse to endorse and proposes his own candidate and endorses him, the winning party can reject him in the assembly – ‘dewan’, through a vote of non-confidence.

13. The constitutions of Johore and Terengganu which were promulgated earlier were nullified by the new constitution which was accepted by all the states of Malaysia. Accordingly on the 9th of May, 2018, the peoples of Malaysia went to the polls to elect the Governments of (the Federation) Malaysia and the Governments of the states.

14. It is important that everyone concerned respects the constitution and abide by it. Failure to do so would negate the rule of law.