Daim: CEP's mandate is over, will discuss with PM on future role

Tun Daim Zainuddin. -Star filepic

KUALA LUMPUR: The Council of Eminent Persons (CEP) has completed its 100-day mandate and a report containing its recommendations will be submitted to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad upon his return from China.

Its chairman Tun Daim Zainuddin said the council's last day was on Sunday (Aug 19) and everyone in the council had gone back to their respective jobs.

"As far as we are concerned, we have completed our task. The mandate is over.

"Including the secretariat, we are all volunteers," Daim said, declining to comment if the CEP has been disbanded or not.

He added that he will make an appointment with Dr Mahathir to see what role he has in mind for the council.

On Thursday (Aug 16), Dr Mahathir said that the CEP will not be disbanded although its mandate will end.

Meanwhile, Daim said among the recommendations include measures to strengthen the independence of Malaysia's core institutions and enhance their respective governance framework with the objective to put an end to the era of widespread corruption and abuse of power that has plagued the country.

"Such incidents were made possible due to a breakdown in institutional governance.

"While the council took cognisance of the weaknesses in the financial condition and the level of poor governance in the government and government agencies, we did not expect the magnitude and severity of the problems to be this grave," he said, adding that the council did no expect it to be that pervasive and systemic.

The CEP had met 350 individuals from more than 200 organisations since it was formed on May 12.