What’s Really Behind Dr M’s Council Of Elders Plan?

Dr Mahathir has admitted to mooting the idea of a "council of elders" to advise a Prime Minister, who would replace Najib Razak as it would allow the new PM to listen to different opinions.

Dr M made the suggestion to the G25 group of prominent Malays promoting moderation and called it "a necessary move" since a handpicked Cabinet would greenlight all of the PM's decisions.

The former PM, who was speaking at 'Malaysia's War On Corruption Symposium 2015' in Bangsar on 11 November, told reporters that:

*"In the system that we have now, the PM 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 PM all the time. They can give their opinion. Maybe the PM would not accept, but at least he would hear other opinions."*

At the same conference, he also said that his top priority is to replace PM Najib and that the move to reform the country's system of governance was up to the majority, and not him, to decide

When asked to comment on the alleged "corrupt system" within UMNO, Dr M again defended the party, saying that the ruling party was not corrupt, but the people in it are the ones who are corrupt

Coming back to the topic of "council of elders", Dr M was responding to G25 member Tawfik Ismail, who in a recent interview with TMI revealed that the group met with Dr M on two separate occasions this year, where the topic of replacing Najib was raised

Image via Kamal Ariffin/TMI

Tawfik, who is the son of Malaysia's second Deputy PM Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, said Dr M is obsessed with getting rid of PM Najib

In an interview with the NST, Tawfik said, "Personally, I think probably Dr Mahathir is someone who wants things to go his way. He is on a power trip", adding that Mahathir's legacy, however, is a legacy of "betrayed trust" as Malaysians were now "paying" for the mistakes made during Dr Mahathir's administration.

"So, I think he shouldn't be talking about trust. In terms of his ability to do good and keep the trust of the people, I think he has failed in many ways," Tawfik reportedly said.

An example of this, he said, includes compromising the Judiciary and concession agreements which are now burdening Malaysians

Image via Kamal Ariffin/TMI

Tawfik claimed that Dr M had undone the work of Dr Ismail and Malaysia's founding fathers in his desire to cling to power, adding that the rapid Islamisation of the country is due to Dr M's policies

Meanwhile, according to law expert Dr Abdul Aziz Bari, a lecturer at the Universiti Selangor, a "Council of Elders" to advise the PM does not have a place in our Federal Constitution. He said that installing such a council would only worsen the system of governance.

Image via TMi

Even Aziz, who sits on the Selangor DAP committee, warned that Dr M had a "habit of tampering the system" and that one of his biggest disservice to the nation was the emasculation of Parliament, including abolishing an independent Parliamentary service in 1993

While it's said that Dr M's plan to have a "Council of Elders" is unconstitutional, another thing that's out in the open is that how determined Dr M is to continue to have a say in the running of the Government, despite stepping down as PM. Furthermore, if his plan succeeds, there is little doubt that Dr M will be calling the shots.

Image via ST