ID :
44651
Sat, 02/07/2009 - 17:09
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/44651
The shortlink copeid
TREET DEMOS NOT MALAYSIAN CULTURE - DR M
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 (Bernama) -- Street demonstrations are not part of the Malaysian culture, said Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
As such, the former prime minister reasoned, the opposition which lost its
grip of the Perak Government, should not use demonstrations as a show of force
against the authorities.
"How are you going to form a government by taking to the streets? If they
(the opposition) encourage street demonstrations, how are they (the opposition)
going to govern a state?
"If you take to the streets everytime there is a problem, then, if and when
you form the government, other people are going to do the same to you.
"Then, you can't do anything else in the government, except deal with such
demonstrations," he told reporters after a demonstration of the SmartPool
technology at the Mines Waterfront Business Park here.
Dr Mahathir said this when asked to comment on street demonstrations by
opposition supporters during the swearing-in ceremony of the new northern state
of Perak chief minister, several kilometres from the Kuala Kangsar palace on
Friday.
The swearing-in followed the ouster of the Pakatan Rakyat (People's
Alliance) government.
The barely year-old opposition state government crumbled after four of its
assemblymen quit their respective parties recently.
Dr Mahathir said the 'defection' of the state assemblymen should
have resulted in the dissolution of the Perak State Assembly but since Ruler
Sultan Azlan Shah had declared that there was no need for such elections, the
decision should be respected.
He said, in the failure to dissolve the state assembly, the opposition's
menteri besar should have been allowed to convene the state legislative assembly
and a vote of no-confidence should have been passed against that government.
"But if the menteri besar did not want to convene a state assembly, then how
can we force him to call for one? The law states that a vote of no-confidence
should have been passed before there is a change in the government.
"Even if they continue to rule the state, then they would be running it as a
minority government. How can a minority government rule a state, when it does
not have support?," asked Dr Mahathir.
On reports that People 's Alliance, according to Democratic Action Party
(DAP) chairman Karpal Singh, was planning to take legal action against the
Sultan of Perak over his decision, Dr Mahathir said although the opposition
leader's actions were ethically wrong, legal avenues allowed for such a suit.
Dr Mahathir, asked if political parties and leaders were spending too
much time politicking rather than ensuring a stable economy in view of the
global economic downturn, he said:" I think there is too much politics but then
again, without a stable political situation, how can you improve the economy?"
-- BERNAMA
As such, the former prime minister reasoned, the opposition which lost its
grip of the Perak Government, should not use demonstrations as a show of force
against the authorities.
"How are you going to form a government by taking to the streets? If they
(the opposition) encourage street demonstrations, how are they (the opposition)
going to govern a state?
"If you take to the streets everytime there is a problem, then, if and when
you form the government, other people are going to do the same to you.
"Then, you can't do anything else in the government, except deal with such
demonstrations," he told reporters after a demonstration of the SmartPool
technology at the Mines Waterfront Business Park here.
Dr Mahathir said this when asked to comment on street demonstrations by
opposition supporters during the swearing-in ceremony of the new northern state
of Perak chief minister, several kilometres from the Kuala Kangsar palace on
Friday.
The swearing-in followed the ouster of the Pakatan Rakyat (People's
Alliance) government.
The barely year-old opposition state government crumbled after four of its
assemblymen quit their respective parties recently.
Dr Mahathir said the 'defection' of the state assemblymen should
have resulted in the dissolution of the Perak State Assembly but since Ruler
Sultan Azlan Shah had declared that there was no need for such elections, the
decision should be respected.
He said, in the failure to dissolve the state assembly, the opposition's
menteri besar should have been allowed to convene the state legislative assembly
and a vote of no-confidence should have been passed against that government.
"But if the menteri besar did not want to convene a state assembly, then how
can we force him to call for one? The law states that a vote of no-confidence
should have been passed before there is a change in the government.
"Even if they continue to rule the state, then they would be running it as a
minority government. How can a minority government rule a state, when it does
not have support?," asked Dr Mahathir.
On reports that People 's Alliance, according to Democratic Action Party
(DAP) chairman Karpal Singh, was planning to take legal action against the
Sultan of Perak over his decision, Dr Mahathir said although the opposition
leader's actions were ethically wrong, legal avenues allowed for such a suit.
Dr Mahathir, asked if political parties and leaders were spending too
much time politicking rather than ensuring a stable economy in view of the
global economic downturn, he said:" I think there is too much politics but then
again, without a stable political situation, how can you improve the economy?"
-- BERNAMA
