The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government wants the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to act on the advice of the cabinet but former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad argued that the ruler can refuse to do so as his powers have been expanded under the state of emergency.

Mahathir said this in pushing for a National Operations Council (NOC) to take over from the PN government, similar to the council known as Mageran that governed the country following the 1969 riots.

“After the emergency was declared, the Agong’s power increased and it is as if...