https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_Aui1PXi1JM (Muhyiddin calling PM Najib a thief)
Dr M regrets and apologises for curtailing King’s powers
That has to be surprising to the majority of Malaysians as it takes a real man to own up to his past mistakes, what more a man of public stature like Mahathir who is widely perceived as a “man of steel” as an administrator.
The 91-year-old Mahathir had tendered his apology by posting in his blog.
No doubt, Malaysians can remember and still continue to blame him for his past mistakes but that is the past. After all, Mahathir is just human, and humans are prone to making mistakes.
Whether one chooses to forgive him or not is another matter, but Malaysians can now judge the “new” Mahathir who wants to bring about change for the better to Malaysians and Malaysia (Read this for context: http://victorlim2016.blogspot.my/2016/08/mahathir-race-based-bersatu-only-way-to.html)
And he has made his political goal crystal clear by quitting on the draconian Umno and founding the Malay political party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), to rival Umno.
And he has managed to persuade former Umno deputy president and deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin to helm Bersatu with other experienced and veteran politicians who were once Umno members.
Within a week, both Mahathir and Muhyiddin have displayed their “sincerity” in their renewed political battle outside Umno.
Muhyiddin is mincing no words and neither is he beating around the bush anymore in his speeches, as seen and heard in his speech accusing his former boss, Prime Minister Najib Razak, as “the thief who stole from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB)” (audio video clip appended above). (Read this for context: http://victorlim2016.blogspot.my/2016/08/muhyiddin-says-datuk-seri-najib-is.html).
Now, Mahathir has followed up to apologise for his past mistake of curtailing the powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong which was perhaps the most critical of all constitutional moves that he had made.
And he has managed to persuade former Umno deputy president and deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin to helm Bersatu with other experienced and veteran politicians who were once Umno members.
Within a week, both Mahathir and Muhyiddin have displayed their “sincerity” in their renewed political battle outside Umno.
Muhyiddin is mincing no words and neither is he beating around the bush anymore in his speeches, as seen and heard in his speech accusing his former boss, Prime Minister Najib Razak, as “the thief who stole from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB)” (audio video clip appended above). (Read this for context: http://victorlim2016.blogspot.my/2016/08/muhyiddin-says-datuk-seri-najib-is.html).
Now, Mahathir has followed up to apologise for his past mistake of curtailing the powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong which was perhaps the most critical of all constitutional moves that he had made.
No News Is Bad News wishes to pose this question: If the likes of Mahathir, Muhyiddin and also Anwar Ibrahim, cannot survive in Umno anymore, what is the political socio-economic reality for Malaysians?
Whether Malaysians choose to continue to loathe and hate Mahathir or not, the next 14th General Election (GE14), which is only due in March 2018, is possibly one of the most crucial GEs in Malaysian electoral history.
Whether Malaysians choose to continue to loathe and hate Mahathir or not, the next 14th General Election (GE14), which is only due in March 2018, is possibly one of the most crucial GEs in Malaysian electoral history.
With de facto Pakatan Harapan leader Anwar languishing in Sungai Buloh Prison, the Opposition is gravely weakened and split.
The Islamist PAS is neither here nor there politically, and the Hadi “Umno Loving” Awang-led PAS appears to be happy to split the Opposition Malay votes to the advantage of Barisan Nasional-Umno.
And Pakatan (comprising of DAP, PKR and Amanah) don’t seem to have a leader of Anwar’s calibre or stature to hold them united politically.
With Bersatu also going for the rural and urban Malay voters, the Opposition votes are further split.
You don’t need a rocket scientist to predict the outcome of GE14 if Pakatan and Bersatu fail to strike an electoral pact to face the Umno-led BN and PAS.
And 1MDB Najib knows that he is now capable of leading Umno and BN into GE14 (Read this for context: http://victorlim2016.blogspot.my/2016/08/1mdb-najib-to-call-for-snap-polls-in.html) to win big, provided the Opposition remains disunited.
In the weeks and months to come, Malaysians will surely be monitoring the political developments of the Opposition (Pakatan and Bersatu) and what they say and how they make their decisions.
Both Pakatan coalition parties and Bersatu will have to watch what they say and decide, for they cannot afford to annoy Opposition voters by making selfish decisions just to serve their party agenda only.
They must be focused on making decisions aimed at only toppling BN - nothing more, nothing less. And the most difficult of all is to compromise on seat allocations in the interest of Malaysians and Malaysia.
Can they unite and compromise to fight an incumbent government that has displayed impunity with regards to the ongoing 1MDB-linked alleged global money-laundering probes.
Can Malaysians continue with a federal government that displays little interest, thus far, in wanting to find out whether/how billions of ringgit have been allegedly stolen from a so called national sovereign fund?
Can Malaysians continue to rely on a government that does not have anyone taking responsibility for what is happening to/in 1MDB involving billions of ringgit in taxpayers’ money?
No News Is Bad News opines that the Opposition cannot win GE14 by harbouring past hatred for any individual or party. All that should be secondary.
They can only have a chance (repeat: only a chance) to topple BN by compromising and making decisions solely in the interest of Malaysians and Malaysia, not individual or party.
That is surely easier said than done because it requires one to face political and socio-economic realities. (Read this for context: http://victorlim2016.blogspot.my/2016/08/malaysian-politics-facing-reality.html).
Here’s news portal malaysiakini’s take on Mahathir’s blog:
"Mahathir apologises for curtailing Agong’s powers
Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has apologised for amending the Federal Constitution to curtail the role of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in the legislative branch.
Mahathir said this had allowed for the controversial National Security Council Act (NSC Act) to come into force without royal assent
"I would like to apologise for the amendment to the constitution, which made the approval and signature of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong no longer necessary for the legalising of an Act of Parliament.
"I sincerely apologise for making the amendment as it is open to misinterpretation.
"It would seem that because of the amendment, the new National Security (Council Act) has become operational, even though the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has not signed it," Mahathir wrote in his blog shortly after midnight.
However, he pointed out, anything that has to do with the Agong's right to declare emergencies still required the King's signature.
The NSC Act grants the prime minister the power to declare security zones, in which security forces will take charge.
Critics have said this is akin to declaring an emergency, something which only the Agong can do.
In 1994, the Mahathir-led government passed amendments to the constitution to allow any law that has been passed by both the Parliament and the Senate to become law within 30 days, irrespective of whether the Agong gives his assent.
On Feb 17, the Conference of Rulers asked for the NSC Bill to be refined, but this was not done.
Then, according to the national gazette, the NSC Bill was automatically assented the following day, on Feb 18, as per the amendments that Mahathir oversaw.
The bill was gazetted into law in June, and came into force on Aug 1.
Gone against the constitution
Mahathir also said in his blog that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's government had gone against the constitution by making the auditor-general's report on 1MDB an official secret.
"This is contrary to the provision in the constitution, wherein the report of the auditor-general should be submitted to the Agong and then laid before the House of Representatives.
"Clearly, the government of Najib has not only ignored the provision of the constitution but also acted against it by giving the report to the attorney-general. It was then classified as official secret."
Critics say keeping the auditor-general's findings as secret shows that Najib has something to hide.
However, the prime minister has denied allegations that he misused public funds, dismissing then as being part of a plot to topple him.Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali has also cleared Najib of any criminal misconduct in the 1MDB cases."
Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has apologised for amending the Federal Constitution to curtail the role of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in the legislative branch.
Mahathir said this had allowed for the controversial National Security Council Act (NSC Act) to come into force without royal assent
"I would like to apologise for the amendment to the constitution, which made the approval and signature of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong no longer necessary for the legalising of an Act of Parliament.
"I sincerely apologise for making the amendment as it is open to misinterpretation.
"It would seem that because of the amendment, the new National Security (Council Act) has become operational, even though the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has not signed it," Mahathir wrote in his blog shortly after midnight.
However, he pointed out, anything that has to do with the Agong's right to declare emergencies still required the King's signature.
The NSC Act grants the prime minister the power to declare security zones, in which security forces will take charge.
Critics have said this is akin to declaring an emergency, something which only the Agong can do.
In 1994, the Mahathir-led government passed amendments to the constitution to allow any law that has been passed by both the Parliament and the Senate to become law within 30 days, irrespective of whether the Agong gives his assent.
On Feb 17, the Conference of Rulers asked for the NSC Bill to be refined, but this was not done.
Then, according to the national gazette, the NSC Bill was automatically assented the following day, on Feb 18, as per the amendments that Mahathir oversaw.
The bill was gazetted into law in June, and came into force on Aug 1.
Gone against the constitution
Mahathir also said in his blog that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's government had gone against the constitution by making the auditor-general's report on 1MDB an official secret.
"This is contrary to the provision in the constitution, wherein the report of the auditor-general should be submitted to the Agong and then laid before the House of Representatives.
"Clearly, the government of Najib has not only ignored the provision of the constitution but also acted against it by giving the report to the attorney-general. It was then classified as official secret."
Critics say keeping the auditor-general's findings as secret shows that Najib has something to hide.
However, the prime minister has denied allegations that he misused public funds, dismissing then as being part of a plot to topple him.Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali has also cleared Najib of any criminal misconduct in the 1MDB cases."
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