YOURSAY | 'It's good to say sorry. But now you have to remedy the damage done.'
Mahathir apologises for curtailing Agong’s powers
Citizen_Zero: What a nice surprise. That former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad has apologised for an act that he had presided over, which is having a disastrous consequence on the country and its people. Imagine that.
The act of Dr M apologising is something noteworthy in itself, and underscores the state that the nation is in. That said, Dr M is a tactician. A brilliant one.
But we still have to ask the question: was he able to do what he did because he was better, or because the people were not good enough?
We will not truly know his intentions until we reach the end of this chapter, but for now, politics being the art of the possible, we will take what we can get, and we will strive for more.
Power should never be in the hands of one person, even the Agong. Keeping to the topic, Dr M has said the right thing. At his age, his eyes are still wide open. And so are mine.
We all have to stand up and do our part, if not, there really is no one else to blame.
Kim Quek: Mahathir was both right and wrong when he amended the constitution in 1994 to make legislation passed by Parliament automatically becoming law if the Agong refuses to assent to it within 30 days.
Right in the sense that he had removed the veto power from the Agong, as in a democracy practicing constitutional monarchy, the ultimate power to make law is vested with the people, executed through their elected representatives in Parliament.
Hence, the monarch should not have veto power on legislation save on certain special matters. But where Mahathir had gone wrong was to trivialise the Agong’s assent.
There should have been an elaborate mechanism built into the amendment so that the Agong can reject legislation he deems inappropriate, and subject them to compulsory and meaningful public consultation before Parliament deliberates and decides on the legislative proposals again.
This would enable the Agong to safeguard the interests of the people by acting as a check against the possible excesses of the ruling party.
It is only after the second (or even third) such parliamentary decision, should the approved legislation become law - with or without the Agong’s signature this time.
Anonymous_1372745219: The problem is not in the curtailing of the Agong's power. The problem is that you didn't put additional checks and balances in place, so that the power could not be abused.
TA: This is indeed a classic case of the past returning to haunt you.
GE14Now!: What's the point of apologising now? It was you who refused to listen to the voices of dissent when you decided to circumvent the rulers.
Now what you have done has come back to bite you in the rear. You are essentially reaping what you had sown.
Shibboleth: Tun, it's good to say sorry. But now you have to remedy the damage done. Otherwise, history will only remember your failures.
Odin Tajué: Mahathir, when I was a pupil, a mentor of mine, an old Aussie lady, advised me to not step on anyone’s toes ever, because one not-so-fine day, I might need help, and the owner of the backside I needed to kiss in order to get the help, might also own those toes.
Like former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, you now realise that it does not pay to step on someone’s toes - something you both did more than once when you were in power.
My fellow readers here would say that you are ‘enjoying’ your karma.
Anonymous 2414541461066294: Every action has its pros and cons. If Mahathir had not done the amendments and there were abuses by the royals, he would also be blamed. No system is 100 percent fool proof.
Let’s focus on the now. There is no point debating what should have been done then.
Anyway, couldn't the amendments be reversed – that is, give the power back to the Agong to accept/reject laws passed by Parliament? The big question is, do you want this?
Pemerhati: Mahathir is apologising for just one of the many terrible things that he was responsible for doing.
Some of the other terrible things were the destruction of the enforcement agencies and the judiciary by filling up the top posts (e.g. attorney-general, inspector-general of police, judges) with incompetent and unprincipled lackeys who then did not take any real action against the alleged massive theft and corruption by Mahathir and the other BN leaders but instead unfairly prosecuted and jailed the opposition leaders and anyone who opposed their actions.
FairMind: Yes, how about apologising for other larger mistakes like dismantling the independence of the courts, giving of ICs to foreigners (Project IC), ‘ketuanan Melayu’, giving of approved permits (APs) and licences to cronies, awarding of contracts without tenders, implementation of the Sedition Act, the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA), and a host of other policies to curb civil liberties, which you undertook during your tenure?
EmEmKay: Taking responsibility is the highest mark of great leaders. Mahathir finally takes personal responsibility for the legislative mess he created.
Anonymous 523121458630190: Mahathir, please challenge the classification of the Auditor-General's Report on 1MDB under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) in court.
We think that this is ultra vires to the federal constitution, and any MP should have the locus standi to challenge this. The executive is responsible to Parliament.
The auditor-general's report must carry the same weight as the Budget. If the executive has no confidence to report on how the spending was done, it is akin to failure to command the confidence of the House. The head of the executive must then step down.
Fateh: The doctor has apologised for one of his destructive deeds to the country, I am indeed surprised, after all these years of denial, of causing misery, racial and religious disharmony to this once promising country.
Oscar Kilo: It's too late to apologise. The damage has been done. This is Dr M's legacy.
Alunan Ombak: "Nasi sudah menjadi bubur” (the rice is irreversibly spoilt). Who is responsible? Of course, Mahathir, supported by his ministers and deputies during his 22-year tenure, including the present PM, Najib.
Now that Mahathir has apologised and is determined to oust MO1, let's support him. Who else is better to spearhead this mission?
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