Dr M: A PM can be removed before term ends
An elected prime minister can be removed before his term ends, regardless of the fact he was rightfully elected, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad says.
Commenting on arguments against the removal of Najib Abdul Razak as prime minister, Mahathir said the PM is also entitled to formulate his own policies.
However, he said, this implies that the public is also entitled to judge and even reject both the policies and the prime minister.
"The right of the people includes overthrowing the new PM through peaceful and legal means.
"The fact that the PM is elected does not mean he cannot be removed before his term," Mahathir wrote in his blog today.
He said many prime ministers have been removed from office worldwide, and cited the removal of Najib's predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Mahathir, who is spearheading a movement to oust Najib from office, then listed examples of how the prime minister had allegedly given a negative image of Malaysia.
This includes allegedly being subservient to Singapore, the bloated Prime Minister's Department, as well as the 1MDB and RM2.6 billion donation scandals.
Mahathir also noted the rejection of the investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and Bank Negara into the scandals, and the dismissal of former attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail.
He said people now live in fear of the government, and that this was why Najib should be removed.
Najib has denied misusing public funds for personal gain and dismissed the allegations as a plot to topple him.
Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali has also cleared the prime minister of any criminal misconduct in the RM2.6 billion donation and RM42 million SRC International cases.
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