KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he is open to suggestions on how to run the government but added he does not necessarily have to act on every one of them or even disclose his personal views about the decisions he makes.
The prime minister said Malaysia upholds freedom of speech and acknowledged that there had been many views calling for a change in his Pakatan Harapan (PH) Cabinet line-up, including one from his own media adviser to create a special role for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who has been named his successor.
“In Malaysia, we are free to speak. Anybody can make any kind of suggestions.
“I listen to what everybody has to say. Not all of it we agree with. A lot of ideas about the Cabinet reshuffle, is freedom of speech.
“You can ask what you like. But whether I respond or not, what I think is kept to myself. I don’t have to reveal my thoughts to everybody,” he told reporters in Parliament this morning.
Dr Mahathir was asked to respond to a suggestion by his media adviser Datuk A. Kadir Jasin to appoint Anwar who is currently only a backbencher as special envoy as part of a Cabinet revamp.
The prime minister had earlier this month said he is considering changing his current Cabinet line-up, adding that if he does so, it will happen before Malaysia hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit next year.
He said a decision would be made after he had analysed and studied the performance of the current ministers.
Later, during a working trip to South Korea on Sunday, he said he would only kick out useless ministers, who for now, he said have been performing satisfactorily.
