PM: Govt decides, monarchs endorse Ruling coalition has the last say on who is MB - not royals, says Dr M

By ZAKIAH KOYA of and Dr Sahruddin, as he [email protected] wanted to cushion the strong stance Dr Mahathir seems to have taken PETALING JAYA: Newly-minted against the royalty,” said the source. Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Dr The source was referring to Dr has barely had Mahathir having been upset over time to work with his new exco line­ the recent forced retraction of up, a selection allegedly influenced 's ratification of the United by the palace, before Tun Dr Maha­ Nations International Convention thir Mohamad sent a subtle shot on the Elimination of All Forms of across the bow. Racial Discrimination and the Rome The Prime Minister reminded Statute. everyone that it is the government The Rome Statute covers the that has the last say on who is men- International Criminal Court, which tri besar, not the constitutional seeks to prosecute those guilty of monarchs. serious crimes like genocide when In a posting on his blog chedet.cc their governments are unable or yesterday titled “The Malaysian New faces: (From left) Mohd Solihan, Tosrin and Tan unwilling to do so. Constitution'', Dr Mahathir said that The Malay Rulers had opposed the Federal Constitution reigns Malaysia meeting, top party leaders change in the exco line-up. new constitution which was accept­ Malaysia’s ratification of the Rome supreme and no one can violate the said that Dr Mahathir felt slighted In his blog posting yesterday, Dr ed by all the states of Malaysia. Statute, citing interference in their rule of law. by how the new Johor executive Mahathir recalled the rise of the “Accordingly on May 9, 2018, the sovereignty. The posting is believed to be a committee (exco) line-up was select­ Malays against the Malayan Union people of Malaysia went to the polls The Bersatu source further point­ veiled warning to those who inter­ ed. by the British colonisers, forcing to elect the governments of (the ed out that Johor is Muhyiddin’s fere with executive appointments “He had told Bersatu leaders that them to replace it with the Federation) Malaysia and the gov­ territory as he was the MB there for by the government of the day. there would be no change in the . ernments of the states. some years and knows how to deal Not unexpectedly, in an apparent Johor exco despite the appointment “It was agreed that Malaya would “It is important that everyone with the Johor Palace. response, Tunku Mahkota Johor of the new MB. be a democracy where the people concerned respects the Constitution “Muhyiddin is the man who set Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim post­ “He then threatened to resign as would choose the government. and abide by it. Failure to do so up Bersatu but he has always been ed excerpts of the Federal Consti­ prime minister, to which all of us “The rulers would be constitu­ would negate the rule of law,” said the one standing two steps behind tution on the rights and powers of unanimously protested,” said a tional heads without executive Dr Mahathir. Dr Mahathir. There is no doubting Rulers on his Facebook page last party leader who asked not to be power. Their position would be On the Bersatu special meeting his loyalty to the premier, despite night. named. guaranteed by the Constitution, on Monday night, Bersatu leaders his correspondence with the He posted Article 71.(1) which Earlier that day, Dr Sahruddin which would be the supreme law of also refuted speculation that there Palace,” said the source. states that the "Federation shall had announced three new faces in the country. was tension between Dr Mahathir Another source, who was present guarantee the right of a Ruler of a the exco line-up, saying that he “The party winning the election and Bersatu president Tan Sri at the special meeting on Monday State to succeed and to hold, enjoy needed people he could work with. would name the Prime Minister (or Muhyiddin Yassin. night, said that Dr Mahathir did and exercise the constitutional The three new exco members the Chief Minister - Mentri Besar) “It is not true that they say that Dr offer to step down if “no one wants rights and privileges of Ruler of that were Jementah assemblyman Tan and the constitutional head would Mahathir and Muhyiddin are lock­ to listen to him”. State.” Chen Choon from DAP, Tenang endorse (it). ing heads over the Johor exco line­ “There was no drama. He just The Article also states that any assemblyman Mohd Solihan Badri “Should the constitutional mon­ up and that there is a tussle between said it as a slighted old man would, dispute as to the title to the succes­ and Bukit Permai assemblyman arch refuse to endorse and propos­ the two,” said the party source. when he is sidelined. sion as Ruler of any state shall be Tosrin Jarvanthi from Bersatu. es his own candidate and endorses The source farther said that Dr “Of course there are some 'moles’ determined solely by such authori­ Former Johor mentri besar Datuk him, the winning party can reject Mahathir sometimes tends to fall out to destabilise the party but those ties and in such manner as may be , who tendered his him in the assembly - ‘dewan’, back into his “old 1980s mode” who are creating a storm in the tea­ provided by the Constitution of that resignation to the Prime Minister through a vote of no confidence. when, as the fourth Prime Minister, cup over last Monday’s meeting are State. on April 8, had said that Johor Ruler “The constitutions of Johor and he had the last say on everything. merely singing the song in the back­ On Monday night, at a hastily Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Terengganu which were promul­ “Muhyiddin had agreed to the ground of a Hindi movie to further convened Parti Pribumi Bersatu Sultan Iskandar had wanted a gated earlier were nullified by the changes after consulting the Sultan dramatise it,” alleged the source.