SHAH ALAM – There is no need to introduce regulations outside the law to stabilise and advance the country.
Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim took over the government, such laws began to be introduced.
He noted that Malaysia had previously faced racial riots and religious extremism, but these issues were resolved through the Federal Constitution or laws passed by the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara.
"Malaysia (Malaya) has been independent for 68 years. The Constitution and existing laws are sufficient for the country to remain stable and progress.
"With the 3Rs (religion, royalty, race), the people’s voices are silenced. This is contrary to democracy and the Constitution," he said in a Facebook post, today.
Dr Mahathir viewed the requirement for opposition constituencies to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in exchange for funding as a form of bribery.
He said government funds did not belong to the ruling party but to the people.
"Financial allocations for elected representatives should be the same, regardless of whether they are from the ruling party or the opposition.
"The previous government allocated RM400 million to Kelantan, RM200 million to Terengganu and Kedah without conditions, even though these states were not part of the Federal Government. Even when they wanted to purchase Mercedes, it wasn’t questioned," he said.
Dr Mahathir added that now extrajudicial regulations were introduced, allegedly to stabilise the country.
He also noted that elected representatives could no longer discuss the 3Rs in Parliament.
"Although the MoU is supposedly aimed at eliminating hate speech and racism by MPs in Parliament, it is clear that the government will decide whether a statement is deemed racist or hateful.
"The Speaker can also prevent opposition MPs from defending their statements," he said.
He believed that the 3Rs and the MoU were intended to silence both the people and their representatives.
He said this allowed the government to act unjustly with impunity.
"They can even steal government funds and cheat in the General Election (GE) and it would still be acceptable. This is what the government can do if the MoU is signed by opposition MPs.
"Reject the MoU and reject the 3Rs. Defend the Constitution and the Rule of Law. Return to and respect the Malaysian Constitution. Stop the extrajudicial regulations," he added.