Khalid: Khusrin to be sworn in next week

Khusrin (left) meets with Khalid at the mentri besar’s office, February 7, 2011.—Picture courtesy of the Selangor MB’s press secretariat

SHAH ALAM, Feb 9 — Selangor state secretary Datuk Mohd Khusrin Munawi will finally be sworn in next week, more than a month since he was appointed to the top civil service post without approval from the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government.

Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim announced today that Khusrin will take the oath of secrecy before him next week.

Khalid had met the state secretary on Monday to discuss the latter’s duties in the country’s wealthiest state.

“Yes, he will be taking the oath of secrecy ceremony next week... he is now working as state secretary and has been at it since January 1, 2011,” Khalid told reporters today.

He, however, refused to divulge exactly when Khusrin would be sworn in.

The Selangor MB also said there would be a change to the state executive council meeting procedures following Khusrin’s oath of secrecy ceremony.

“The exco meeting will be broken into two parts, one where the state secretary can attend, and one where he cannot. He can attend the council meeting, but when there are discussions which involve elected excos, he (Khusrin) can’t attend,” said Khalid.

When asked whether this was a move to limit Khusrin’s powers as state secretary, the Selangor MB replied that the protocol change was not out of the ordinary.

“It’s quite normal, quite common,” said Khalid, who added that even civil servants conducted meetings where state executive councillors could not attend.

Khalid has already assigned Khusrin specific tasks to carry out as state secretary.

On Monday, Khalid met Khusrin at his office to discuss the latter’s duties, which included management of state land and properties.

As state secretary, Khusrin is required to prepare reports and inform Selangor of the latest developments concerning the state’s properties, and identify those which were abandoned and problematic.

The former Selangor Religious Department (Jais) director assumed the state secretary’s post on January 1 and later swore an oath of loyalty in front of the Sultan of Selangor, but has yet to take his oath of secrecy before the mentri besar, a constitutional requirement before he is able to attend state executive council meetings.

Khusrin’s appointment was announced by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan on December 27 last year.

The appointment was, however, opposed by the state government as Khalid claimed that his administration was not consulted.

The state government later attempted to amend the state constitution to enable it to appoint its top three civil servants without federal interference.

It, however, failed to obtain the necessary two-thirds majority in the state assembly to amend the constitution in an emergency sitting on January 24. - Malaysian Insider