Mahathir widens Government power

Press, 18 March 1988, Page 9

Mahathir widens Government power

NZPA-AFP Kuala Lumpur The Malaysian Prime Minister, | Mahathir Mohamad, has presented Constitutional and other legal amendments to Parliament that analysts said will givelhis Administration, troubled by a leadership split, wider powers. The changes included a Constitutional provision which lawyers said would modify what they called the “inherent judicial power" of the courts.

The new provision means tighter control of the judiciary by Parliament and also by legislation initiated by the executive branch of Government.

Another -’Constitutional amendment placed before the Dewan Raayat (lower) house gives the Government-appointed at-torney-general the right to decide in which court to institute legal proceedings. "Officials . said Mr Mahathir will present the Government’s case for the amendments , to the Dewan Raayat. He previously has accused the judiciary of overstepping its pbwers after several court rulings against the Govj eminent.

Also placed before Parliament are changes to the Societies Act which will allow Mr Mahathir’s New U.M.N.O. (United Malays National Organisation) to inherit the assets of the original U.M.N.0., which was ruled unlawful by the. High Court last month. The amendment to the

Societies Act would allow i the New U.M.N.O. to fight, off anv bid by the Prime. Minister's arch-rival.’ Tengku Razaleigh Ham-, zah, to block the New! U.M.N.O.’s inheritance ofj several hundred million] Malaysian dollars worth) of assets. Analysts said the move! to define the role of Malaysia's judiciary, noted for its independ-! ence.- and changes to laws that will accord greater legitimacy to . the New U.M.N.O. stem largely!

from the Mahathir-Ra-zaleigh struggle. I Mr Mahathir, Prime Minister since mid-1981, narrowly beat off a challenge from Mr Razaleigh, a former Trade and Industry Minister, for the U.M.N.O. presidency in April last-year. U.M.N.O. has headed Malaysia’s ruling National Front coalition and its forerunner, the Alliance, since independence in 1957. Its leader has been by convention Malaysia's Prime Minister.