Dr M: Nobody can change Constitution on his own

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has spoken out against attempts to ignore the Constitution and to effectively change it “by other means”.

He said although the Constitution could be changed, there were procedures to do this.

“Nobody can change it on his own. States cannot change it nor can Rulers without the approval of the Federal Parliament and Federal Government.

“If the Constitution is ignored by anyone, others will follow suit. The Constitution is the basic law of the country.

“When a precedent is established, it will become a base for other changes,” Dr Mahathir wrote in his latest blog posting yesterday.

Dr Mahathir said there was already a feeling of disrespect for the Royals.

“This may lead to other forms of disrespect. Although by and large, the Malays are for the institution of the monarchy, when their ability to defend is eroded, they might forego their adat (custom).

“It is seen that some quarters are making use of Royalty to overcome national policies and objectives. These people must stop, especially when they are foreigners,” he added.

Dr Mahathir ended by pledging to write more.

“As the Johor State Council is about to change certain rules, I deem it necessary that these attempts to effectively change the Constitution be realised by the citizens of this country,” he added.

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