Sultan shouldn’t get power to decide on MB, says PAS MP

(The Star) – The power to accept the next Selangor mentri besar should not rest solely with the state ruler, said Khalid Samad.

The Shah Alam MP said this amidst speculation that Selangor’s Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah could possibly reject Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Pakatan Rakyat’s choice for the MB post.

Speaking to reporters at his office here on Thursday, he said this was because Malaysia was a constitutional monarchy, where the Sultan acts on the advice of the ruling government.

“We should not give the Sultan power to decide on who becomes mentri besar, solely because it is a constitutional monarchy,” said Khalid Samad, who is also a PAS central working committee member.

However, he stressed that this was not a personal view, but one expressed by many parties and individuals.

“Who says this? Other people say it, people on the Internet, the academics and even Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad,” he said.

Khalid Samad said this in reference to Pakatan’s decision to present only one candidate to replace the current Mentri Besar, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.

“That is why PAS suggested two names, Dr Wan Azizah and (PKR deputy president) Azmin Ali.

“However, the other person would give way for Dr Wan Azizah. This is inevitable,” he said.

He explained that Dr Wan Azizah had majority support as her name was nominated by all Pakatan component parties.

This is not the first run-in Khalid Samad has had with the palace, as he previously questioned the jurisdiction of the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) in several cases involving non-Muslims.

Sultan Sharafuddin had said that Khalid Samad was “biadap” (rude) for making such remark, and refused the latter’s request to have an audience with him.