Ku Li urges rulers to seek out leader to lead in current crisis

 

Umno’s Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah wants the rulers to seek out a leader who is capable of leading the country during the current economic and health crisis amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Razaleigh made the appeal ahead of the Conference of Rulers meeting today.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is expected to consult his fellow rulers ahead of the state of emergency’s expiry in August.

“The rulers therefore have a duty at this crucial moment of the nation’s life to assume an important constitutional role arising from the oath that the Agong has taken before the rulers who elected him to represent them.

“This role is inherent in the oath. This is to rise above personal interest, political parties and personal considerations to seek a leader who has the capability, ability, vision and depth of understanding of the present situation to lead a government that can take us out of this dire situation that the rakyat is in,” he said in a statement today.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has struggled with a fragile majority but this was temporarily resolved after Parliament was suspended during the emergency.

However, the fate of the government will be in focus again after August.

Razaleigh did not offer specific solutions but appeared not in favour of going through Parliament, which he said was suffering from “disabilities”.

He said many MPs are conflicted by financial interest amid an unclear majority.

“Neither the (Federal) Constitution nor the law has any solutions to unravel these disabilities,” he said.

He also said the country was facing an unprecedented situation.

“Leadership, as we have understood in the past, is no longer relevant or capable of dealing with the multiple problems, which include high unemployment, loss of income, finance to food and health; all coming together,” he said.

Razaleigh’s position appears similar to that of Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s, who is advocating that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoint a National Operations Council to replace the Perikatan Nasional government.

The council is similar to the one that governed the country after the 1969 riots.

Pakatan Harapan, however, wants the emergency to end, after which it will seek new alliances to challenge PN. - Mkini