Brave words from lawyer Tommy Thomas
And to think that a leader like him has the audacity to aspire to higher positions within the party and government. The celebration he and his fawning supporters will initiate upon his elevation would be short-lived, as his promotion would spell the immediate beginning of this country’s final damnation to hell.
Senior lawyer Tommy Thomas says our founding fathers will be turning in their graves. They would not be alone. Indeed, it would be a shame his own father would share.
Ablastine: Mr Minister, you are no more than an Indonesian import. You got no right to comment on this nonsensical ‘social contract’, which is nothing more than a tool you devise to control people.
Our Chinese and Indians ancestors have been here for a few hundred years already. Where were your parents from and when did you come to Malaysia?
I suggest you look at yourself in the mirror first before making all these seditious remarks, sowing discord among the racial groups in Malaysia.
Hearty Malaysian: For people like Zahid to reach vice-president status with the highest votes given his racist outlook and actions, how can one not condemn Umno as a party that rewards racist proponents?
Zahid should be charged with sedition. But who is to arrest him, now with our police chief’s selective inaction?
Fernz: There’s no official religion in Sabah and Sarawak, Article 153 covers the Orang Asal as well, the Malay rulers are confined to the sultanates on matters of religion, culture, customs and traditions; and Bahasa Melayu the national language has been replaced by Bahasa Malaysia.
The federal constitution is the social contract. There’s no other social contract.
Bash: If Zahid is a lay person, I can understand his bigotry. But as home minister, this shows a lack of understanding of our nation’s history, the people’s aspiration and need for nation building.
Expert: Even Queen Elizabeth can’t choose PM
Ourvotesdecide: Indeed, why the need to have a Selangor constitution and even to hold an election for the State Legislative Assembly?
Further, after each election, an MB is nominated/chosen and together with the appointed state executive councillors and the other elected state assemblymen/women will be required to take/make oath and sworn to protect and defend the said constitution.
If I am not wrong, even when a sultan takes the throne, HRH (His Royal Highness) will also be required to make/take the same oath to protect and defend the constitution.
So why suddenly the constitution seems to have just been of ornamental value only?
Anonymous_1371455474: Tommy Thomas, why are you comparing us to the United Kingdom. It is stated very clearly in the Laws of the Constitution of Selangor, 1959, Article 53(2a) that the sultan possesses a clear and distinct role in appointing the menteri besar.
The person to be appointed as MB is a “member of the Legislative Assembly who in His judgement is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Assembly.”
Furthermore, Article 55(2a) further highlights that, “His Highness may act in His discretion in the performance of the appointment of a Menteri Besar.”
Why bother to refer to other countries when Malaysia has precedent in court cases involving Amir Kahar Mustapha in Sabah and Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin in Perak as well as in Perlis and Terengganu, all of which ruled in favour of palace? Are you saying that this is wrong?
Disgusted: Anonymous_1371455474, you got to read the Selangor constitution in toto.
While the sultan may have his discretion of appointing the MB, the first criterion must be met – that is the person to be appointed as menteri besar is “a member of the Legislative Assembly who in His judgement is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Assembly.”
The operative words here are “command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Assembly”.
In this respect according to the constitution, the will of the assembly overrides the discretion of ruler part as this is a constitutional monarchy and the monarch is bound by the constitution and he is not above the constitution, which is the supreme law of the land which protects the rakyat from a dictatorship.
Here someone has acted as if it is an absolute monarchy riding roughshod over the will of the assembly. It is a sham democracy and the constitution has been abused.
Swipenter: Tommy Thomas has got it all wrong and he didn’t even realise his oversight. We are talking of Bolehland, the Land of Endless Opportunities; not England or Australia.
We do not have a Westminister system here; we have our own palaces each with their own head of state who is totally different from the former in style and in decorum.
Angel: Tommy Thomas will be the next.
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