Battle over state secretary is for the people, says Khalid

SUBANG JAYA, Jan 8 — Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim described the tussle for the right of the Selangor government to choose its own state secretary was to benefit voters.

The Selangor mentri besar questioned how he was expected to run the state if he was not allowed to appoint his own colleagues.

“This is for the sake of the people of Selangor,” Khalid (picture) told reporters today.

“If the state can’t select its own team, how on earth can we manage the state?” he said.

Khalid also stressed that he had never authorised former State Secretary Datuk Ramli Mahmud to act on his behalf in the thorny appointment of the latter’s replacement, Datuk Mohd Khusrin Munawi.

“First, let me say that the mentri besar and the exco have never given instructions to the previous state secretary to act on behalf of the mentri besar or exco to do dealings in the selection of the state secretary,” said Khalid.

“If he acts on it, he is acting on his own,” he added.

The MB had earlier accused Ramli of “dealing” with Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan behind his back.

Ramli had refuted the MB’s allegations and said he received an official letter from the Selangor palace, which stated that the Selangor Sultan had given his blessings to Mohd Khusrin’s appointment.

The ex-state secretary claimed that Khalid had received a copy of the said letter.

Earlier today, however, the MB’s office insisted that Ramli had failed to inform it about Mohd Khusrin’s appointment, despite attending two executive council and two economic action council meetings and even his retirement ceremony from December 10 to 21.

The MB’s office also claimed it was unaware of all progress until December 21 when the private secretary to the Sultan, Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani, had sent a letter to his counterpart in the MB’s office.

Faekah Husin, the MB’s political secretary, said it contained an attached letter dated December 10 that was sent to Ramli stating the Sultan’s consent to Mohd Khusrin’s appointment.

Today, Khalid also dismissed the notion that the ongoing crisis could erode Malay support.

“Voters must know, whatever decision we make, they have to evaluate (and think), will it benefit them?” said Khalid.

He also pointed out that the Sultan had assured him of maintaining good ties with the state government despite disagreeing on the choice of the new secretary.

“I’m glad Tuanku has assured me that we will continue to have discussions with the palace,” said Khalid.

Selangor has been embroiled in a tussle with the federal government over Mohd Khusrin’s appointment since Sidek named him as the state’s top civil servant on December 27.

The state maintains that it has the right to make its own choice and rejected the former Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) director, who is known to clash with Khalid’s administration.

Khalid plans to call for an emergency sitting of the state assembly before the end of January to amend the constitution to return powers of appointment to the state and the Sultan. - Malaysian Insider