Khalid: Not protocol for Sultan to grace state Merdeka do

Khalid noted that the same practice has been kept in previous years. — File pic

SHAH ALAM, Aug 31 — Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said today that it was not a norm for the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah to be invited for state level Independence Day celebrations.

“Such an invitation is not in the programme. This is how we do it every year, that’s all,” he commented on a local daily’s report that stated the Sultan had been left out of the 55th Independence Day celebrations at Dataran Kemerdekaan here last night.

He was speaking to reporters after Friday prayers in conjunction with Independence Day here today.

Meanwhile, the Sultan of Selangor’s confidential secretary, Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani said it was the custom of the previous state government to invite the Sultan for such celebrations.

“The invitation was a formality and it was up the Sultan to accept or otherwise,” he said.

Meanwhile, state Umno Information chief, Abdul Shukor Idrus, questioned the Selangor government’s invitation to PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Selangor’s economic advisor, as the main guest at the event.

The action was seen as improper as the post of Selangor economic advisor was merely a political post created by the state administration and was not in the State Constitution.

He said: “Is the state government using the celebration funded by the state government for its political interest. If it is true, it is an irresponsible act apart from insulting the institution of the Selangor Sultanate.”

Over in Kota Baru, president of Malay rights group Perkasa Datuk Ibrahim Ali said that certain parties were alleging that a small group from the opposition coalition was trying to deny the role of the royalty in the name of democracy. — Bernama