BN Selangor has challenged the Pakatan Rakyat state government to provide a draft of the amendment it proposes to make to the Selangor constitution to its new opposition leader for the matter to be debated extensively on Jan 24.

"We want to see the draft (of the proposed amendment) first.

"If they are brave, they can give it to us. After that, we will decide whether or not to go for the proposed Jan 24 sitting," newly-appointed BN opposition leader Mohamad Satim Diman told Malaysiakini.

The Selangor state assembly is to meet on Jan 24 to amend the Selangor constitution to return to the state and to the sultan powers to appoint the state secretary, state financial officer and state legal adviser - which were taken away in an amendment to the Selangor constitution in 1993.

The move follows a state of imbroglio in the appointment of Mohammed Khusrin Munawi as the new state secretary.

Selangor speaker Teng Chang Khim has instructed the secretary of the assembly to inform all elected representatives of the special assembly sitting. The state assembly has 56 seats, with Pakatan Rakyat having 35 representatives.

BN to get views of its Selangor elected reps

The Selangor government needs a two-thirds majority to amend the constitution - which means 37 votes.

PKR has 14 elected representatives, while DAP has 13 and eight are from PAS. BN has 21 elected representatives, 19 from Umno and two from MCA. Selangor has one independent assemblyperson.

Satim, who is the Seri Serdang assemblyperson, said BN will have a special meeting to get the views of the its elected representatives in Selangor.

Commenting on the 1993 amendment, Satim said the present situation was good, adding, "since 1959, there has not been a problem".

Meanwhile, BN Selangor information chief Abdul Shukor Idrus, who is also Kuang assemblyperson, said the existing law was sufficient as it protected the sultan's powers, as the ruler had consented to Khusrin's appointment.

"We will wait and see whether what Pakatan Rakyat is proposing to do is better than the existing (clause)," he told Malaysiakini.