Speaking to FMT, Mahathir, the country’s longest-serving prime minister, said the council was needed because of four crises the country is facing.
“We have a health problem, an economic problem, a political problem and a socio-economic and education problem,” he said.
“The present government led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin cannot resolve these problems.”
So, the Langkawi MP said, the way forward is to establish a Mageran-like council that will drive the nation forward without being beholden to politicians and warlords.
Elaborating on his proposal which he presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong yesterday, Mahathir said although the concept for the council was “borrowed” from Mageran, there are differences in his proposal.
Composition
He said although he has offered himself to lead the council, it did not need to be led by or even comprise politicians.
“We need experts, the best talents in their respective fields … health, economics, education. It has to be inclusive in the sense that the members can come from any background so long as they are the best people for the job.”
As for who would lead the council, Mahathir said it could be anyone, although it must be someone with experience in managing many crises before, a tried and tested leader, a person of integrity, and able to command government machinery and the wider society to resolve the four crises.
He said any party could put forth their recommendations as to who should be part of Mageran, but it was ultimately up to the King to appoint its members.
Accountability
Mahathir said Mageran, though functioning as the executive, would not have the same sweeping powers of the present administration under the Emergency.
“With Mageran, we are returning power to Parliament and the King. For example, if Mageran proposes a policy to address an issue, it will first be debated in Parliament. Laws would go through the parliamentary process.”
This, he said, means the end of a “government knows best approach”.
“At the same time, the King appoints members of Mageran, so the council and its operations are not affected by people trying to grab power.
“Now people think the only way to change the government, or to get power, is in having the majority support of MPs, but no one really has the numbers, so what happens is that Parliament is suppressed because those in power are afraid of having insufficient support in Parliament.”
He said Mageran would ensure politicking is reduced and the focus is on getting the country out of the crisis.
“We can also save a lot of money from being wasted. Now we have 72 ministers and deputies but the government cannot resolve the country’s problems. Imagine how much we can save with a small team of not more than 20 people.
“All that money can go back to the rakyat, in the form of vaccines, food and welfare.”
For how long?
Mahathir said Mageran should function so long as the four issues remain unresolved, though this does not need to be set in stone.
“For health, we can say our problem is resolved when cases are low and we achieve 80% herd immunity. For the economy, it is when it can function normally again.
“We must remember that all four crises are interconnected, though it is safe to say that Mageran should not be in power longer than May 2023. Then we dissolve Mageran, go back to the people to let them choose their government in GE15.”
Emergency or not?
Should his proposal be accepted, Mahathir said, Mageran can function with or without a state of Emergency.
“Lifting the Emergency is the King’s decision. What differentiates Mageran and an Emergency government is the restoration of Parliament.
“Malaysia is a democracy and Parliament is the foundation of that democracy. Unlike the present government which is run by politicians, Mageran will be driven by experts.
“And unlike the present government which has crippled Parliament, Mageran will be strengthened by and kept in check by Parliament.”
