Form shadow Cabinet first
KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) should come up with an agreement to form a shadow Cabinet before talking about taking the government over from Barisan Nasional (BN), said former DAP vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim.
He said PKR, PAS and DAP must name their shadow Cabinet because "as it is, now they don't even know who is going to be what".
"(DAP chairman) Karpal Singh said (DAP secretary-general) Lim Guan Eng is going to be the prime minister (PM). Guan Eng said he is not fit to be PM and so on," he said, when asked to comment on the current debate within PR on the selection of a prime minister and the rights of a non-Malay to be premier, here today.
Last Saturday, PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said the question of race should not affect a candidate's eligibility to become prime minister, provided he was a Muslim.
Yesterday, Karpal Singh said the Federal Constitution allowed a non-Muslim to be prime minister of Malaysia.
Tunku Abdul Aziz, the former vice-president of Transparency International, also questioned how the opposition political parties would form a government if they were busy quarrelling on who could or could not be prime minister.
"Don't ever talk about who can or cannot be prime minister, if you don't have the plan to rule the country. Well, the moment you move into Putrajaya, you are hitting the ground running," he told reporters at a press conference on his reasons for quitting from DAP, at his house in Bandar Sri Damansara here today.
"You can't just go to Putrajaya, not knowing who is to do what. You should clear this. But how to clear this if you are not sure who is to do what. First, let's see the government line-up, but now they can't even agree on a shadow Cabinet," he said.
Tunku Abdul Aziz said: "The country cannot wait while you are quarrelling among yourselves over which post goes to which party. What would happen to the country while waiting (for them to decide who will lead the country)," he said, adding that it was not easy to govern Malaysia since it was a complex undertaking.
On Karpal Singh's statement that non-Muslims could be prime minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Aziz said although the constitution allowed it, "we also have to go, according to the convention and normal practices, this we just could not ignore."
"The King will always be a Muslim, and as a prime minister, if you are not a Muslim, you are not able to fulfil the function and duty as the King's first minister, although administrative duties can be carried out by anyone," he said.
Tunku Abdul Aziz said that when the King prayed, he expected his prime minister to be there by his side, but if the prime minister were a non-Muslim, the person would need to opt out.
"These are the considerations. We can't just say, 'Yeah, the Constitution [says] yes, then you can'. Look at the reality."
"It is a very tricky thing… there is so much emotion to it; you're treading on custom, culture and a lot of things, is it worthwhile? Yes, you can push the issue but are we the people prepared for the consequences?" he said. — Bernama
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