KJ suggests all ex-PMs receive invites for Merdeka celebrations
The former minister says this would be the ‘proper thing’ to do following backlash against Putrajaya for not inviting Dr Mahathir Mohamad to this year’s event.
Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has proposed that all former prime ministers should automatically receive invitations to National Day celebrations, following criticism over Dr Mahathir Mohamad's absence from this year's event in Putrajaya. Khairy suggested this change during a recent episode of his podcast, urging the government to revert to the practice before 2018, where surviving former prime ministers were routinely invited to the festivities, regardless of their political affiliation.
He emphasized that the invitation should be based solely on their status as ex-prime ministers, without considering their personal relationships with the current administration.
The Communications Ministry, which oversees National Day celebrations, revealed that the practice of not automatically inviting former prime ministers began in 2018. The ministry's secretary-general, Abdul Halim Hamzah, explained that this decision was based on an application for "Facilities for Rest Abroad" submitted by Dr Mahathir, which was approved by the prime minister's office.
This approval, in line with provisions under the Members of Parliament (Remuneration) Act 1980, allowed Dr Mahathir to be away from Malaysia for part of the celebration period.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
