MALAYSIA will become an absolute monarchy and the people will lose their rights if the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is given full powers to object to laws, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“Our country is a democracy in which the voice of the people is heard in everything. But we do give the Agong room so that he too will be in the know of the laws passed by both houses of Parliament.

“If the Agong is given absolute power to reject any laws, the people would lose their power. We will not be a democracy, we will be an absolute monarchy,” Dr Mahathir told the Dewan Rakyat this morning.

He was responding to a question from Ismail Said (BN-Kuala Krau) who asked if the government plans to amend the laws regarding the royal assent for legislation passed by Parliament.

Dr Mahathir had in his first stint as prime minister amended Article 66 (4A) of the federal constitution three times, which permits the government to bypass the king in enacting laws.

However, when asked if he would apologise for doing so, Dr Mahathir said the changes were for the good of the people.

“I will not apologise to anyone. I proposed these laws for the necessity of the country. We amended it three times to explain why the laws were in place,” Dr Mahathir said.

The then-Barisan Nasional government’s National Security Council Act 2015 was the first law to come into power without royal assent.

Dr Mahathir said the current government will review amending the law as it requires the approval of the Agong and infringes the ruler’s power of declaring an emergency if needed.

“The consent and signature of the Agong is still needed if laws touch on the power and jurisdiction of the King. This was where the previous government’s inaccurate interpretation happened in passing the NSA.

“We view that it clearly infringes on the power of the Agong to declare emergency. To declare emergency is a special right given to the Agong cause of dire implications. The government will study this matter even further if there is a necessity,” he said.  – August 14, 2018.