Smooth Selangor sitting expected, Umno unlikely to dare stir up ruckus

Pakatan Rakyat leaders expect an orderly special sitting of the Selangor Legislative Assembly on Monday despite 11th hour hue and cry from Umno leaders over the proposed amendments aimed at returning the right of appointment of the state's top three officials - the state secretary, financial officer and legal adviser - back to the Sultan and the Mentri Besar.

"There may be a show of support from friends of both groups but we don't expect a repeat of what happened in the Perak sitting. That was under a different situation where a power grab had occurred and the BN was stirring trouble to make Nizar and his team look bad," PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

"But at the Selangor, Umno won't dare although it may be itching to lash out because the Sultan has given his consent and that speaks volumes. Some people say this is a Pakatan smokescreen but what are we screening? Did we start it? At the end of it all, if the motion is carried, the power will return to the state government and thereby the Sultan which was the original constitution and where the power should be rightly placed. Why should the power of appointment rest with the federal government? Obviously, there were changes and Mahathir did not tell the truth."

Tian was referring to comments made by former premier Mahathir on Sunday that there had been no changes to the "federal" constitution. Selangor administrators have taken the 85-year Umno strongman to task for amending state rules to enable the federal government to consolidate its grip over the state government. Selangor is the richest and has been ruled by Umno-BN since 1957 till 2008, when the unpopular Khir Toyo was ousted by PKR's Khalid Ibrahim.

Selangor Speaker Teng Chang Khim is due to distribute copies of the proposed amendment when the sitting begins at the Selangor state secretariat in Shah Alam at 9am.

“This is not only the rights of the Selangor rakyat but it's the rights of all rakyat. We need all the support and assistance to make Malaysia a democratic country but as highlighted earlier today, there are still a lot of matters that require our attention,” former Bar Council president and civil society leader Ambiga Sreenevasan told a Respect the Vocies of the Selangor People rally on Sunday..

However, despite widespread support from the majority of Selangorians, Pakatan is unlikely to be able to ram through the changes despite given the tacit go-ahead by the Sultan. It lacks the two-thirds majority needed. Umno has made it clear they will oppose the amendments.

"If Selangor Umno is smart, they will endorse the amendments and checkmate Khalid. If the bills are passed, do you think it will so easy for Khalid to drop Khusrin. Khalid too has to show his respect to the Sultan. But sad to say, intelligence is not Umno's forte, so the bills may fail because of the slimmest margins," Tian said.

"Not only is Umno doing a disservice to the Sultan, they are telling Selangor people the state belongs to BN and the federal government. But we are saying Selangor belongs to Selangorians. Selangorians choose their own government and this government must serve them and the Sultan first and foremost." - Malaysia Chronicle