KUCHING: Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) should not support Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the prime minister because he was not specifically elected by the voters to hold the post, said Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan.
“The choice of prime minster under the constitution lies with the King, not the people,” he said in a statement yesterday.
He said Dr Mahathir chose to resign as prime minister and chairman of his Bersatu party. It was politically immoral to try to be prime minister again without seeking a fresh mandate from the voters.
“Because he wanted to become the eighth prime minister through re-appointment by the King, he threw all political allies and foes in disarray,” he said.
He said in America, the law provided for the direction election of presidents whereas in Malaysia the prime minister is a Member of Parliament chosen by the King because he/she has the support of the majority of his colleagues.
“The last general election (GE14) was for choosing the new government, not the prime minister. In other words, the prime minister is not elected directly,” he said.
As far as PSB is concerned, it pledged support for PH as a whole because the people gave it the mandate to rule.
“But PSB should understand that the King had already made a decision and his decision must be respected,” he said.
He said although PSB could be influenced by the fact that 114 MPs had by certain documents and statutory declarations (SDs) pledged their support for Dr Mahathir to be prime minister (which seemed to have given him a majority in parliament), PSB including DAP, Amanah and PKR who support him should understand that the Federal Constitution provides for no procedure to allow support based on SDs.
“The SDs carry no weight in law and the King could not and must not be influenced by them. The King had personally made first-hand assessments of all situations inclusive of interviewing all MPs before he made his decision,” he said.
He added the SDs were irrelevant to the King as it was outside his capability to know what actually went on in the making of the documents. The SDs are simply an afterthought and clouded with mysteries.
“If PSB refuses to recognise Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the prime minister then wait for parliament to convene and hold a vote of no confidence against him and his government.
“If that is successful, then Muhyiddin as prime minister would need to meet the King. This is what is required by our democracy,” he said.
The King then decides the next course of action in accordance with the powers given to him under the Federal Constitution.
“PSB and other parties including DAP, Amanah and PKR cannot decide in Parliament to re-appoint Dr Mahathir as prime minister hoping get the King to agree to it because the power to appoint the prime minister lies His Majesty,” he said.
