Former spokesperson for the Council of Eminent Persons (CEP), A Kadir Jasin has denied there are any tensions between the council and the government.
"The cabinet runs the country.
"The suggestion that there is a contest for power and differences of opinions between the government and the CEP is the work of the ignorant and the foul-minded," Kadir, who is a veteran journalist, said in a blog posting today.
Previously, it was reported that the CEP, which was intended as an advisory body, is tussling with Pakatan Harapan leaders over the direction of government decisions.
Umno's Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin, who is the former youth and sports minister, had also questioned in the Dewan Rakyat, the jurisdiction and accountability of the CEP, calling the members "unelected".
Kadir quipped that everyone knows the CEP members are unelected.
"If they are elected, they would be in the Parliament answering Khairy," he said.
Also in the Dewan Rakyat, Khairy had accused Daim of exceeding his authority in the advisory body by purportedly asking former Chief Justice Md Raus Sharif to resign.
"As a parliamentarian and a former minister, people expect him to check his facts.
"Did he ask Raus if this is true? If he did not, it shows that he is being irresponsible and should apologise," Kadir said.
Those who wrote to the media about the CEP should also apologise, he added, as they seem to thrive on wild imaginations and cannot "suppress their bloated ego".
"While the Harapan government encourages freedom of expression, still it is unprofessional and unethical for the journalists, writers and members of parliament to make comments based on untruth and hearsay.
"There have been many articles and comments made on the role of the CEP.
"Some are thoughtful and largely accurate but most are akin to fiction," he said.
However, he said he does not necessarily blame the writers because the council has not been generous with information as it is still a "work in progress" and the CEP chairperson Daim Zainuddin is not a "chatty" person.
