By Syauqi Jamil
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today reassert that there are no plans to give the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong the powers to reject laws passed in the Parliament.
He said the amendments which was made to the Federal Constitution in 1994 was to ensure that the people’s decisions could not be nulled or set aside by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
“Our country is a democratic nation, where the voice of the people determines everything.”
“However, we have agreed to give the Agong his position and to notify him the laws that are passed in both Houses in Parliament,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat.
Mahathir who is also the Langkawi lawmaker reiterated his points that if the Agong were to be given absolute power to reject laws, then the people will lose their power.
He added that if this takes place then then nation will no longer be a democratic one but would rather be an absolute monarchy.
“I am not convinced that this is the kind of system you want. You also agree with me that power lies with the people,” he said response to Barisan Nasional (BN) Santubong MP Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.”
Wan Junaidi earlier asked Mahathir whether there was a need to retain amendments made to the Federal Constitution in 1994, which had stripped royal immunity including rejecting bill passed in Parliament.
Mahathir also said that the amendments should not be viewed as an attempt to threaten the Malay Rulers, but rather as an affirmation of the sovereignty of the people through legislative institutions.
“The amendments should not be seen inappropriate or as an attempt to usurp the Malay Rulers, but instead it upholds the sovereignty of the people and authority of the legislature.”
“The dignity of the rulers is still upheld in the context of constitutional monarchy,” he said.
