KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 — MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong said he was against the idea of a government encompassing the country’s entire political spectrum as this would leave such an administration with unchecked powers.
Wee recalled his statement from yesterday when he said the public should be allowed to determine the fate of the government following the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan administration.
“While we are confident, any decision that the Agong decrees should be accepted by everyone and it is certain that this decision will be made taking into account the interests of the entire country.
“Regarding the proposal for a unity government, to me this does not guarantee the fertility of the democracy we have practised for so long and it could also erase the checks and balances of the government,” he said in a statement today.
Wee argued that this would replace the country’s democracy based on the Westminster system with a presidential-style framework similar to those used in republics where the head of the government would appoint Cabinet members regardless of affiliation.
He said he refused to allow this to happen to the country as it would effectively remove any Opposition to the government.
“When the PM is backed by all members of parliament, then absolute power is given to the PM to do anything, with the slogan ‘as I please’,
“Hence, I would rather be in the Opposition to provide a check-and-balance to the government.”
In his first public address since resigning as the PM and being reappointed to the position in the interim, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad asked for the opportunity to form and lead a government that would span the entire political spectrum.
Dr Mahathir said the cause of the current political impasse was due to politicians putting self before country.
Federal lawmakers met the Yang di-Pertuan Agong yesterday and today to profess their choice to be prime minister but there is still no single MP who commands the support of the majority, based on publicly known positions.
Yesterday, Barisan Nasional changed its positions from supporting Dr Mahathir to calling for fresh elections while PH announced this evening that its lawmakers have now proposed PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be the PM.
