Gaps: S'gor MB usurping sultan's power

The MB and his state exco are urged to resign so Selangor's administration can work in peace, presumably as once upon a time. A watchdog group has accused Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim of trying to usurp the authority of the Sultan in the appointment of the state secretary. Gagasan Anti Penyelewengan Selangor (Gaps) president Hamidzun Khairuddin argued that the law clearly states that it was the Sultan and not the menteri besar who had the final say on the appointment. In the Selangor Constitution 1959, it was clearly stated that the power of the Sultan includes the appointment of the menteri besar and his cabinet members. His cabinet members (exco) includes the state secretary, state financial officer and legal adviser. These three senior administrators are ex-officio to the state cabinet, he said in a statement today. gaps demo 051210 hamidzun khairuddinHamidzun also rubbished oft-repeated claims by Pakatan Rakyat elected representatives that the appointment of the state secretary by the services commission does not necessarily refers to the federal Public Services Commission (PSC). Yet, (services commission) refers to the PSC because the state secretary is a senior diplomatic and administrative officer (PTD) level staff developed through the PSC system, he argued. He said that this is the accepted convention in Selangor's selection of the state secretary that inherited the administrative system of the Federated Malay States. Act of treason Hamidzun also pointed outthat there was also no provision in the state constitution requiring consultations with the menteri besar on the selection of the state secretary. Can a menteri besar form a (services) commission? No. Because a commission must be established by Parliament. The menteri besar has no power under the state laws to form a commission. The menteri besar (now) is playing in a sandbox and created a 'panel' to interview potential state secretaries. This is hilarious. Does he think that appointing the state secretary is akin to appointing a village head? he added. Based on these arguments, Hamidzun said that any attempt to question the Sultan's authority on the appointment of the state secretary was akin to derhaka (treason). selangor state exco ceremony 240308 04In view of this, he urged Khalid and his entire exco to resign as Selangor would be more peaceful without leaders who allegedly frequently disrupt the administration of the state. Former Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) director Mohd Khusrin Munawi will be installed as the new state secretary next week much to the chagrin of the Pakatan state government. As the Jais head, Mohd Khusrin had put the state government in a spot on numerous occasions, including the arrest of the former Perlis mufti for preaching without his department's permission and also for punishing a surau committee for allowing a non-Muslim into the surau premises.