PUTRAJYA (Aug 13): Pakatan Harapan is seeking the cooperation of opposition MPs in order to set to stone, some of its electoral reform promises, said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. 

Otherwise, the reforms would be “impossible for us to do”, the prime minister told reporters after chairing the new government’s third meeting of the Cabinet Select Committee on Anti-Corruption. 

“It is impossible for us to do things that would require amendments to the (federal) constitution, because we do not have two-thirds [majority in] parliament. 

“If we have the declaration from the opposition parties that they will support [our proposals], only then will we introduce the amendments that [require] parliament’s approval,” he said.  

The proposals include limiting the prime minister’s term to two terms and giving “certain powers to parliament”, Dr Mahathir added, without elaborating. 

“This will require some time to study the wordings of the law… not all these reforms will be done immediately. 

“Immediately after this, I will talk to the opposition,” he said. 

Dr Mahathir said the most important thing for the present government to do in terms of combating corruption, is to remove from the prime minister's authority, what he described as "overall authority" over two key agencies — the National Audit Department and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).