KUALA LUMPUR: Former Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Khir Toyo said today the state’s Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers may back its rivals move to amend the state constitution.
“Depending on what they amend. If we see that the amendments is good and favourable to Tuanku (Sultan), we may back it,” the former Selangor opposition chief and Sungai Panjang assemblyman told FMT.
Khir’s statement came just after BN’s Selangor deputy liaison chief, Noh Omar, hinted at snubbing any such move by Pakatan Rakyat.
Nevertheless, Khir’s statement may give current Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim a glimpse of hope to solve the state’s constitutional crisis involving his Pakatan administration, the BN-led federal government and the Selangor palace.
The impasse was triggered by Putrajaya’s move to appoint its man, former Selangor Islamic Religious Department, Khusrin Munawi, as the state secretary.
The conservative Khusrin is known to be at odds with the Pakatan government, but his appointment was consented by Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah amid Khalid’s insistence that the move was unconstitutional.
Teng may get two-thirds approval
Yesterday, Selangor State Legislative Assembly speaker, Teng Chang Kim, said he will convene an emergency meeting to propose an amendment to the state constitution that will see restore the power to appoint three top state officers to the state and the Sultan.
However, he noted that proposed amendments needed a two-thirds approval. Pakatan, which captured Selangor in the last general election, controls 35 out of the 56 state seats. The coalition is three seats short of commanding a two-thirds majority.
“I will pass (the amendment) if it receives two-thirds support and will not if it doesn’t. But we should not assume it will not be passed: the menteri besar may convince some opposition reps (to back it),” Teng told a press conference at his office in Shah Alam yesterday.
Teng also said that he did not need the palace consent to convene an emergency meeting, citing Standing Order 10(3), adding that the speaker could call for an emergency meeting if he deemed the reason given was of public importance.
Khalid had verbally informed him about the request for an emergency meeting, but a decision would only be made when a formal letter was submitted.
Two-thirds or not, all depends on the Sultan
But in a sharp rebuke, the palace issued a statement against Khalid, Teng and two other Pakatan lawmakers, accusing them of issuing misleading statements on the fiasco while maintaining that the consent to Khusrin’s appointment was done in accordance to the 1959 Selangor State Constitution.
It also demanded that Khalid seek royal consent if his administration wants to amend the state constitution. This was backed by Khir, who said that regardless of what the proposed amendments are, palace consent is needed for the changes.
“Everything has to be passed by him,” Khir told FMT.
Khusrin took the oath of secrecy before the Sultan today, a move that will allow him to attend all meetings by the state executive council. - FMT
“Depending on what they amend. If we see that the amendments is good and favourable to Tuanku (Sultan), we may back it,” the former Selangor opposition chief and Sungai Panjang assemblyman told FMT.
Khir’s statement came just after BN’s Selangor deputy liaison chief, Noh Omar, hinted at snubbing any such move by Pakatan Rakyat.
Nevertheless, Khir’s statement may give current Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim a glimpse of hope to solve the state’s constitutional crisis involving his Pakatan administration, the BN-led federal government and the Selangor palace.
The impasse was triggered by Putrajaya’s move to appoint its man, former Selangor Islamic Religious Department, Khusrin Munawi, as the state secretary.
The conservative Khusrin is known to be at odds with the Pakatan government, but his appointment was consented by Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah amid Khalid’s insistence that the move was unconstitutional.
Teng may get two-thirds approval
Yesterday, Selangor State Legislative Assembly speaker, Teng Chang Kim, said he will convene an emergency meeting to propose an amendment to the state constitution that will see restore the power to appoint three top state officers to the state and the Sultan.
However, he noted that proposed amendments needed a two-thirds approval. Pakatan, which captured Selangor in the last general election, controls 35 out of the 56 state seats. The coalition is three seats short of commanding a two-thirds majority.
“I will pass (the amendment) if it receives two-thirds support and will not if it doesn’t. But we should not assume it will not be passed: the menteri besar may convince some opposition reps (to back it),” Teng told a press conference at his office in Shah Alam yesterday.
Teng also said that he did not need the palace consent to convene an emergency meeting, citing Standing Order 10(3), adding that the speaker could call for an emergency meeting if he deemed the reason given was of public importance.
Khalid had verbally informed him about the request for an emergency meeting, but a decision would only be made when a formal letter was submitted.
Two-thirds or not, all depends on the Sultan
But in a sharp rebuke, the palace issued a statement against Khalid, Teng and two other Pakatan lawmakers, accusing them of issuing misleading statements on the fiasco while maintaining that the consent to Khusrin’s appointment was done in accordance to the 1959 Selangor State Constitution.
It also demanded that Khalid seek royal consent if his administration wants to amend the state constitution. This was backed by Khir, who said that regardless of what the proposed amendments are, palace consent is needed for the changes.
“Everything has to be passed by him,” Khir told FMT.
Khusrin took the oath of secrecy before the Sultan today, a move that will allow him to attend all meetings by the state executive council. - FMT
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