KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail today said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad should keep his promise in handing over the nation’s leadership to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
She said this in response to Dr Mahathir’s remark on Saturday that a prime minister must have the full support of the majority in Parliament.
“A promise is a promise, that’s in the constitution, the prime minister needs the majority support (in Parliament),” she said after attending a Chinese New Year open house jointly organised by the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association and Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim).
Dr Mahathir in an interview with the Malaya Post TV on Saturday night reportedly said that the promise on the leadership transition remained but pointed out that a PM must command the support of the majority in Parliament.
“We have promised, even if I wanted to break the promise, I can only be PM if I have the majority support in Parliament.
“But if the majority of the Dewan Rakyat rejected me, I will fall, that’s democracy. Members of Parliament hold the power to decide. If I don’t have the majority support, I can’t be the prime minister,” he was quoted as saying in the interview.
He said this when asked to comment on the leadership transition after some factions, including Pas, had openly expressed their views that Dr Mahathir should serve the full term.
Dr Mahathir had also noted that Dewan Rakyat could even reject anyone nominated by a party with the highest number of seats.