Anwar says no need for ‘Malay only’ PM clause in constitution
Published on: Friday, December 15, 2023
By:
FMT, Shahrul Shahabudin
Anwar Ibrahim said there has been no serious request or discussion on amending the constitution so that only a Malay MP could lead the nation. (Bernama pic)
BANGI: There is no need for the Federal Constitution to be amended to restrict the prime ministership to Malays, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
He added that there has been no serious request or discussion on amending the constitution so that only a Malay MP may lead the nation.
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“Since Merdeka until now, every prime ministerial candidate has been Malay. The candidates from both the government and the opposition have always been Malay.
“So, let’s move forward. We will look after the rights of all Malaysians, preserving the interests of every rakyat, every race and every territory,” he told reporters after performing Friday prayers in Bandar Baru Bangi here.
He was responding to Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal’s call for Anwar to use his two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat to amend the constitution to ensure that only Malays can become the prime minister.
The Machang MP said he would support such a move and that this was fair since there was an understanding in the “social contract” that Malays are expected to “always lead in politics”.
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Wan Fayhsal had said this would help “restore confidence” among Malays who were perturbed by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang’s remarks on whether a non-Malay could become the prime minister.
Under Article 43(2)(a) of the Federal Constitution, the only requirement for someone to be prime minister is that they be an MP who, in the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s judgement, is likely to command majority support in the Dewan Rakyat.
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There is no mention of race, religion or gender.
When queried about Lim’s remarks, which has since led to a police investigation, Anwar maintained that there was never an issue over the matter.
“Let’s not complicate matters,” he said.
The prime minister also accused the opposition of trying to play up the upcoming redelineation exercise for electoral boundaries, which must be conducted in 2026.
“(The opposition) doesn’t understand the Federal Constitution. The constitution provides for the electoral boundaries to be reviewed at the end of 2026. Why are they making a fuss now?
“They just want to provoke the people,” he said, adding that the opposition would be better off working on uplifting the people’s economic status.
In a statement earlier today, Wan Fayhsal claimed some people were concerned that the number of Malay-majority parliamentary constituencies would reduce after the next redelineation exercise.
The Bersatu man said this could directly affect the composition of MPs in the Dewan Rakyat and who they choose to be prime minister.
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