Pakatan leaders claim Umno are the real traitors

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders last night accused Umno of being the real perpetrators of any constitution crisis as they moved to reclaim support from the Malay community heading into an election year.

The allegation comes after an editorial in Mingguan Malaysia, the Sunday edition of Umno’sUtusan Malaysia newspaper, claimed that Malaysia would end up a republic if PKR and the DAP continue to rule Selangor.

The editorial insinuated that Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, under orders from the DAP, wished to trigger a constitutional crisis in the state as a “test case” before similar action was taken in Penang and the rest of the country.

The Umno mouthpiece also alleged that PKR and the DAP were deliberately playing up the issue of the state secretary’s appointment to distract the public from weaknesses in PKR and Selangor.

Azmin claimed that it was Umno which had committed treason. — File pic

However, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali argued last night that PR was questioning the process in which Datuk Mohd Khusrin Munawi was appointed as the Selangor state secretary and not Selangor’s royalty.

“They said that we have betrayed the Sultan. This has nothing to do with the Sultan. Who has really committed treason? It is Umno. The Malays in Gombak must not forget but it is okay for Umno Malays to forget that the traitors that have committed treason against royal institutions are Umno.

“Those that have seized powers from the Malay Rulers are Umno. In 1993, Umno stole the powers from the Malay Rulers. That is why the Malay Rulers must not easily forget,” he said when addressing over 500 people at a PR rally in Gombak here last night.

The Selangor state government has been opposing the appointment of Khusrin as the state secretary, arguing that the Public Service Commission (PSC) did not consult the mentri besar before announcing the appointment.

It has announced its intention to seek an amendment of the state constitution by the end of the month to nullify Khusrin’s appointment and to restore the state’s power in the selection of senior officers.

Despite the objection, members of the state administration led by Khalid attended the swearing-in ceremony before the Sultan but had vowed not to let Khusrin take his oath of secrecy to enable him to function as the state secretary.

Azmin said the Malay Rulers must remember that it was Umno that had curbed their powers in 1993 and not PR.

“The Malay Rulers themselves must be reminded that the number one traitors in the country are the leaders in Umno.

“That is why we will ask all the mentris besar in the four Pakatan Rakyat states to meet with the Rulers and explain with documents and prove that Umno is the one that has committed treason,” he said.

PAS’s Hulu Klang assemblyman Saari Sungib said the Sultan should remain apolitical and not be influenced by Umno.

“The Sultan as the head of state must remain above politics and not favour any one political party. The Sultan must be for PAS, the DAP and PKR and not for Umno only,” he said.

PAS vice-president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man admitted that the appointment of Khusrin could not be overturned but stressed that the issue at hand was the credibility and dignity of the Sultan. - Malaysian Insider