MB: Royal aide's statement a personal opinion
Hazlan ZakariaPublished: Jan 5, 2011 3:29 PM | Updated: Jan 5, 2011 6:54 PM
Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim has denied there is conflict between his government and the palace, saying yesterday's statement from the palace chastising him was only the personal opinion of the sultan's private secretary Mohd Munir Bani.
The statement suggesting a conflict between the palace and the state gov't is a personal opinion of the ruler's secretary.
Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim has denied there is conflict between his government and the palace, saying yesterday's statement from the palace chastising him was only the personal opinion of the sultan's private secretary Mohd Munir Bani.
"That is the opinion of Munir," Khalid told a press conference at the state secretariat today.
He said that during his visit to the Selangor Sultan earlier this week, the ruler indicated his understanding of the issues as Khalid saw them.
"It is a question of interpretation, but clearly I think nobody disputes that before the 1993 introduction of the bill to amend the constitution, it was quite clear about the powers of the sultan and menteri besar on the appointment of the three senior administrators of the state."
"I hope Munir does not disagree with this. If he does, a lot of people will have to go back to law school," quipped Khalid (right).
No oath for Khusrin
Asked if he would attend Khusrin's oath taking before the sultan, scheduled for tomorrow, Khalid continued to be coy.
"I don't know. I cannot tell you. You have to see tomorrow, whether I am there or not," said the PKR leader, laughing off the matter.
However, the MB added that the state executive council had decided Khusrin would not take the oath of secrecy before him until the state assembly meeting to amend the Selangor constitution to return the power to appoint the state secretary to the sultan and the menteri besar was done with.
The state assembly will be convened within this month, he said, adding that the notice was sent to the speaker today.
Asked how the Pakatan-controlled government would get the two-thirds majority necessary for it to amend the state constitution, with BN reps already saying they would not support the move, Khalid said "we will cross that bridge when we get there".
"We will draft the bill first and then table it... we will see then who is for state rights and its sovereign power," the Bandar Tun Razak assemblyperson added.
In order to assist the state legal adviser in drafting the bill to amend the constitution, Khalid said, the state has appointed a special panel comprising veteran lawyer Param Cumarasamy and constitutional law expert Abdul Aziz Bari.
"That is the opinion of Munir," Khalid told a press conference at the state secretariat today.
He said that during his visit to the Selangor Sultan earlier this week, the ruler indicated his understanding of the issues as Khalid saw them.
"It is a question of interpretation, but clearly I think nobody disputes that before the 1993 introduction of the bill to amend the constitution, it was quite clear about the powers of the sultan and menteri besar on the appointment of the three senior administrators of the state.""I hope Munir does not disagree with this. If he does, a lot of people will have to go back to law school," quipped Khalid (right).
No oath for Khusrin
Asked if he would attend Khusrin's oath taking before the sultan, scheduled for tomorrow, Khalid continued to be coy.
"I don't know. I cannot tell you. You have to see tomorrow, whether I am there or not," said the PKR leader, laughing off the matter.
However, the MB added that the state executive council had decided Khusrin would not take the oath of secrecy before him until the state assembly meeting to amend the Selangor constitution to return the power to appoint the state secretary to the sultan and the menteri besar was done with.
The state assembly will be convened within this month, he said, adding that the notice was sent to the speaker today.
Asked how the Pakatan-controlled government would get the two-thirds majority necessary for it to amend the state constitution, with BN reps already saying they would not support the move, Khalid said "we will cross that bridge when we get there".
"We will draft the bill first and then table it... we will see then who is for state rights and its sovereign power," the Bandar Tun Razak assemblyperson added.
In order to assist the state legal adviser in drafting the bill to amend the constitution, Khalid said, the state has appointed a special panel comprising veteran lawyer Param Cumarasamy and constitutional law expert Abdul Aziz Bari.
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