DR Mahathir Mohamad did not initiate the sacking of lord president Salleh Abas in 1988, but was instead following the decree of the King, former attorney-general Abu Talib Othman said today.
Abu Talib, who served as A-G from 1980 to 1993, was commenting on Dr Mahathir’s statement yesterday that he did not have anything to do with the sacking of Salleh. The former prime minister also said he was willing to swear on the quran over the issue.
Recounting what happened prior to Salleh’s sacking, Abu Talib told reporters today that he told the then prime minister that neither he nor the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong could remove a sitting lord president.
“Well, it was a challenging moment. Can you ignore the command of the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong (late Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail of Johor)?
“I advised Dr Mahathir and reminded him of the oath of office that as a prime minister, he must protect and defend the constitution. And he told me: ‘You go and tell the Agong that’.
“I went to see him (the King) in Johor. And the King insisted that action be taken accordingly. Again, I reminded him (the King) that neither the prime minister nor the King could remove the sitting lord president,” Abu Talib told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today.
THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
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