PUTRAJAYA, 6 May 2009: Barisan Nasional (BN) acted too hastily in Perak and monarchs cannot remove elected heads of government.
On the eve of the continuance of Perak’s constitutional crisis, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said: “Under the Federal Constitution, as far as I know, very clearly states that the monarch cannot remove the prime minister.
“He (the ruler) can refuse to appoint a prime minister but once appointed he cannot remove him until a vote of no confidence is taken.”
The former prime minister was however careful not to draw parallels with the Perak case.
“I think the laws (federal and state) apply to the state as well but if Perak is different, I stand corrected,” Mahathir told reporters at the Perdana Leadership Foundation today.
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This article first appeared on Wednesday, 6 May 2009 in www.theedgemalaysia.com under the same title. Used with permission.
