PAS distances from MP’s statement on Sultan’s absolute power
PAS today distanced itself from a statement by its Shah Alam MP, Khalid Samad, who said the Sultan of Selangor should not be given absolute discretion to decide the next Selangor menteri besar.
PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali and Selangor PAS information chief Zaidy Abdul Talib said Khalid's statement was his personal view and did not represent the party's stand.
"It does not reflect PAS's stand. This was his own opinion.
"PAS's stand is what is contained in the state constitution, where it says that His Royal Highness has the final say in the appointment of the menteri besar," Mustafa was reported as saying in the party's organ Harakahdaily today.
Zaidy, in a separate statement, also said that Khalid's statement was not the stand of Selangor PAS.
Yesterday, Khalid, who is part of the PAS central committee, said netizens did not want the Sultan to be given absolute discretion in the appointment of the MB, saying the country practised constitutional monarchy.
He said social media users brought up the issue in the wake of speculation that the palace would reject PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Pakatan Rakyat's sole candidate to replace Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.
According to Khalid, academicians as well as former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had also expressed similar opinions.
However, the Shah Alam MP later told The Malaysian Insider that this was the general opinion of social media users and not necessarily his own.
"There are some who think that this does not set a good precedent. Because our system follows the constitutional monarchy, we should not give the Sultan sole powers to decide who should be MB, but that is only an opinion," he said.
He had also said that in determining the Selangor MB candidate, PAS had received an indication from the palace, but not necessarily from the Sultan himself, that they wanted more than one candidate.
"So PAS put down two names, that is Dr Wan Azizah and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali," Khalid added.
Meanwhile, Mustafa reminded PAS leaders not to publicly declare their personal opinions, especially when it came to sensitive issues.
"These personal opinions from PAS leaders are sometimes wrongly interpreted as PAS's official stand.
"So don't make personal opinions publicly, particularly about sensitive issues," he said.
Khalid had previously irked the Sultan after he said that the Selangor government should review the executive powers of the state religious council (Mais).
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said Khalid was being rude, saying the MP had questioned his position as the head of Islam in the state by making such a suggestion.
Khalid later apologised but insisted he was not challenging the Sultan's powers, only protecting the royal institution from any criticism should Mais err in its duties. – August 22, 2014.
