THERE are attempts to get the royals to go against Pakatan Harapan but they won’t succeed, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today.

“They use the Rome Statute, trying to get the royals to go against the government.

“But it won’t succeed and it won’t last long,” said Dr Mahathir.

He was commenting on the “deep state” allegedly trying to oust the current government in an undemocratic manner.

Last week, Foreign Affairs Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said cabinet’s U-turn on the Rome Statute was due to fears of a coup triggered by behind-the-scenes players.

“(There was a) possibility of the issue being manipulated, to the extent that people go to the streets, moved by the ‘deep state’ and certain apparatus.”

On what he meant exactly, he said: “I would keep it that way, let the people decide. I use the term ‘apparatus’... that are not democratically elected.”

Saifuddin echoed PKR president Anwar Ibrahim who said Dr Mahathir was referring to a certain royal personality when he announced that Malaysia was compelled to withdraw from ratifying the Rome Statute because “a particular person wants to be free to beat up people”.

Saifuddin said the decision to withdraw from ratifying the treaty was reached after long discussions at a cabinet meeting, which was held after Dr Mahathir had an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

The Conference of Rulers also held an informal meeting to discuss the Rome Statute last Tuesday.

The Malay rulers called in Saifuddin and three others – Attorney-General Tommy Thomas, armed forces chief General Zulkifli Zainal Abidin, and Universiti Teknologi Mara Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Faculty of Law dean Professor Dr Rahmat Mohamad – over the matter. – April 11, 2019.