KUALA LUMPUR: Only the cabinet and the government have the power to disband the National Recovery Council (NRC), Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz said.

He said since the NRC does not have executive powers, the council is only able to act as an advisory body to the federal government.

"The NRC has no executive powers and only acts as an advisory body to the government.

"This means that the power to disband the NRC lies with the cabinet and the government," he said in a parliamentary reply. 

Zafrul was responding to Lim Guan Eng (PH-Bagan) who asked if the government planned on abolishing NRC since Putrajaya had rarely listened to the council's advice.

Established on July 21, 2021, the NRC had so far met nine times where the council has made several recommendations to the government.

Among the recommendations made were on the lack of foreign workers, education, food security and on lack of tourism activity in the country.

"For your information, aside from the representatives from the government, members of the NRC also include economics, social and education experts as well as representatives from the opposition parties."