THE majority of Malay rulers were against the delay in Tommy Thomas’ appointment as attorney-general, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He told Malay-language daily Sinar Harian that several sultans had visited him to convey their views on the stand-off.
“Actually, the majority of the rulers did not agree with the (A-G’s) appointment being delayed. Some came to see me to defuse the situation regarding the delay in my swearing-in, and also questioned the decision on the A-G’s appointment.
“But, all this has been resolved on the advice of the rulers themselves.”
Dr Mahathir had suggested Thomas for the post of A-G, but he did not get the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who asked him to suggest more names.
However, the prime minister insisted that Thomas was his only pick.
It was reported that the rulers then planned an emergency meeting to end the impasse.
Some quarters felt that Thomas, who is a senior lawyer and constitutional expert, was not the right person for the A-G’s post as he is not a Malay-Muslim.
Dr Mahathir said the delay in his swearing-in as prime minister following the May 9 polls should not have happened, as the law must be obeyed.
He said most of the rulers did not agree with the delay, and wanted to reach a solution as soon as possible.
“Such things should not happen. We have laws. There is the constitution.
“We have to adhere to the law. We want to go back to ‘the rule of law’. When something happens that is not according to the law, it will cause anger.
“But, I think the rulers are aware of this, and many obey the law.”
The country’s seventh prime minister also talked about his earlier tenure, during which he had established the Special Court for the Rulers.
He said the setting up of the court did not mean he rejected the royal institution, but it was to prevent the people from getting “rebellious”.
Sinar Harian reported him as saying the court was established to preserve the institution’s sanctity.
“We have to be careful. The rulers should not be involved with things that the people do not like. The people have no power, but when they are upset, they will become rebellious.
“So, we have to prevent all this. I do not reject the rulers, but I think that if they do something wrong, we should take action to preserve the sanctity of the royal institution.
“We have laws, and that’s why we have the Special Court for the Rulers.”
The court was established and enforced on March 30, 1993, after Parliament amended Article 182 of the federal constitution, relating to the immunity of the Malay rulers. – June 8, 2018.
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mileage but builds distrust amongst intelligent and maturing Malaysians, and international observers.
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