Tun Dr Mahathir views~

Dr Mahathir On The Johor Matter

Posted: 06 Jun 2014 11:03 PM PDT

Note : Since the Sedition Act is still in place please be careful with your comments for this post. No insulting or rude language. In the event of doubt, any untoward comments will be deleted. Then the whole world will be denied the benefit of your genius. 

This matter has actually been simmering for some time. I have been receiving emails, smses and news for the past two weeks.  Tun Dr Mahathir has been speaking on this issue from time to time, both in public and also in private. 

Here are some things he has said in public, through his Blog:

1.   JUAL TANAH

• Di zaman ini dengan teknologi dan modal yang banyak terusan seperti Selat Tebrau pun boleh ditebusguna sepenuhnya. Nilai tanah ini tentulah amat tinggi, lebih tinggi dari belanja menebusguna. Sedikit sebanyak usaha ini sudah dilakukan.
• Setelah pihak kita menebusguna selat di sebelah kita, pihak lain pula akan menebusguna sebelah mereka. Terusan akan jadi parit. Jambatan tidak perlu lagi. Siapakah yang akan bangun tanah tebusan yang mahal ini. Siapakah yang akan tinggal di bandar-bandar baru. Tentulah mereka yang berada sahaja yang akan memiliki kondo-kondo mewah yang akan didirikan.
• Tak mengapalah kita dapat duit banyak. Pinggir hutan amat selesa. Kalau kita ternampak sebagai penumpang di negara sediri, itu pun tak mengapa. Selagi boleh jual negara sendiri apa salahnya menjadi penumpang.

There are plans underway in Johor whereby a foreign Chinese company is in a venture to reclaim sizeable areas of land between Johor and Singapore.  I believe Dr Mahathir's comment  "terusan seperti Selat Tebrau pun boleh ditebusguna sepenuhnya" refers to this project.  

Malaysiakini also had a detailed write up on certain issues that have irked Dr Mahathir. Here is Malaysiakini :

2.   MalaysiaKini: Sultan has more power under Housing Board Bill
EXCLUSIVE : Johor govt will table an enactment on Monday to set up a housing and real property board that will empower Sultan to appoint the board members, oversee its accounts and even dissolve the board.

• first to provide such far-reaching powers to the ruler of a state.
• to promote and undertake the development of housing and real property in Johor.
• Section 4 of the enactment will allow the sultan to appoint four persons, as members of the board for no more than two years, reappointed, revoked by the sultan.

The Bill also moots to give the sultan the power to:

• Determine the remuneration or allowances of board members;
• Approve the appointment of a director, who can be appointed as the chief executive officer of the board;
• Scrutinise the accounts or appoint someone to do so; and
• Wind-up and dissolve the board.
• The Bill also states that the estimated expenses for each following year be passed by the sultan before submission for approval of allocations from the state government.

S’gor, Penang laws don’t state ruler

• Section 34(1) board must submit its annual report to the sultan and the state authority before June 30 every year.
• Selangor and Penang have the similar housing board enactments, they do not state any role for the state ruler.
• Selangor Enactment 2001 provides power to appoint board member lies in the hands of federal and state governments.
• Penang Enactment 2010 states that the appointment of board members is to be done by the federal and state governments.
• estimation of expenses submitted to the state authority for approval while the audit report is submitted to the chief minister and the finance minister.
• based on the Johor constitution, which he said states that “all the powers are executed in the name of the King”.
• opposition leader Boo Cheng Hau said power of the sultan limited to the appointment of the menteri besar and state exco members.
• appointment of exco members done on the advice of the menteri besar,” Boo
• opined housing board Bill is “regressive and unhealthy” in giving jurisdiction to the sultan
• Johor Pakatan Rakyat reached consensus that Bill “puts too much burden” on sultan
• “We are constitutional monarchy. If we hand over executive powers to the sultan, the burden will be too heavy.
• state assembly should bear the responsibility of check-and-balance,” he said.
• conflict of interest for MB to check the accounts as he is also the chairperson.
• form an independent select committee,” he added.

Here is today's Star reporting more from Tun Dr Mahathir on this issue.

3.  Dr M: Nobody can change Constitution on his own  

• Dr Mahathir spoken against attempts to ignore Constitution and to change it “by other means”.
• “States cannot change it nor can Rulers without the approval of the Parliament 
• “If the Constitution is ignored by anyone, others will follow suit. The Constitution is the basic law of the country.
• “When a precedent is established, it will become a base for other changes,” 
• Dr Mahathir said there was already a feeling of disrespect for the Royals.
• “This may lead to other forms of disrespect. Malays ..ability to defend is eroded, they might forego their adat (custom).

“..some quarters are making use of Royalty to overcome national policies and objectives. These people must stop, especially when they are foreigners,” he added.

• “Johor about to change certain rules, I deem it necessary these attempts to effectively change the Constitution be realised by the citizens of this country,” he added.

Here is more from The Star :

4. Concern over Johor housing Bill

• Constitutional experts expressed reservations on Johor Bill, saying it would enable the Sultan to meddle in the affairs of the state government
• Bill will empower the Ruler to appoint board members, oversee its accounts and also dissolve the board.
• Sultan would also be able to determine the remuneration of board members, approve the appointment of a director and pass the estimated expenses for each following year before seeking the state government’s approval for the allocations. 
• Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen saying there would be a clear conflict of interest as the Johor Ruler was involved in business including property development. 
• assemblymen have been seeking clarification from the State Legal Officer 
• Abdul Aziz Bari said Sultan could play an active role ..without getting involved in the manner spelt out in the proposed Bill. 
• “Bill will allow Sultan direct involvement in state administration. It is unnecessary and may compromise the concept of constitutional monarchy practised in Malaysia,” he stressed. 
• Two BN Nasional assemblyman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, called for the Bill to be deferred .
• powers to revoke or disband should lie with the Assembly,” said one of the assemblymen.

My comments : As I said before the country is slowly but surely coming apart. This is just another example. There is no clear leadership in the country. Where is Mr Clueless over this issue? How come Dr Mahathir is raising this matter? Dr Mahathir's views are shared by UMNO ADUNs in Johor, the Opposition in Johor as well  as a large number of Malaysian citizens.

The UMNO assemblymen in Johor have serious reservations about this matter but when Clueless remains clueless, then UMNO has no choice but to become dumbno. Kalau boss tak kata apa, pasal apa anak buah nak jadi hero?

Dr Mahathir's statement is loud and clear :  "“..some quarters are making use of Royalty to overcome national policies and objectives. These people must stop, especially when they are foreigners,” he added.

My view is that we have to relook the entire institution of the royalty. Human beings progess from hunter gatherers to organised communities, countries and nations. We have evolved from barbarism to feudalism and democracy. From tribal leadership, feudal monarchy, constitutional monarchy, republic and other forms of government. The progress is left to right. 

Any attempt to go from right to left is a step backward in the evolution of modern society. Theocracies (which do pop up from time to time in present day Iran, Saudi Arabia, Taliban Afghanistan, Kelantanistan etc) are evidence of the human capacity to be completely stupid.

As a modern and progressive people we must ensure that guarantees are in place or obstacles removed which will protect us from regressing backward. The collective rights of the people must be placed paramount above the rights of any group or individual. 

We must strengthen the democratic and FEDERAL Parliamentary process where the will of the people, captured through the vote at the ballots determines the Constitution, the government and administration of this country, which will then apply evenly in the furthest provinces and villages. 

I think the time has also come where we have to abolish the Sedition Act. The Sedition Act was first drafted in 1948 by the colonial British. The intent of the act was to prevent the locals from questioning the colonial monarch, a very obvious and cheap form of self preservation for the Brits. 

The Sedition Act has been modified to suit local needs. But looking at all the comments raised by Dr Mahathir, Dr Aziz Bari, Dr Boo Cheng Hau, UMNO Aduns in Johor and many others what exactly are those 'local needs'?

Above everything else we have to remind ourselves that this is the 21st century. This is just so out of date.