Kit Siang: State secretary row violates spirit of Selangor constitution

The appointment of Datuk Mohd Khusrin Munawi as the Selangor state secretary without first consulting Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim is a violation of the spirit of the state constitution, Lim Kit Siang claimed today.

The DAP parliamentary leader refuted today arguments by palace officials that there were no legal provisions which stated that Khalid’s consent was needed for the appointment, saying that the argument was “flimsy and unacceptable.”

“Going by this literal interpretation, Putrajaya should not have involved the Sultan in the appointment of the state secretary as there is equally no mention in the state constitution that the Sultan must first be informed of the appointment nor that any royal consent is needed,” said Lim in a statement.

The Ipoh Timur MP said that although there was no mention in the Selangor state constitution on the role of the MB in the appointment of the state secretary, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan should have been extra careful in appointing the “most unpopular officer” to work with the state Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government.

“The Chief Secretary, who has been delegated the constitutional task to make the appointment, should be mindful of the different political coalitions running the federal and Selangor state governments and the importance of ensuring an appointee who could work as a bridge-builder or at least not seen as inimical to the Selangor state government interests vis-à-vis the federal government,” said Lim.

Najib is denying the undeniable when he claimed his 1Malaysia slogan is not political

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is denying the undeniable when he claimed that his 1Malaysia concept is not political but a tool to foster unity among the different communities for nation-building.

Najib cannot deny that in the 20 months since the introduction of Najib’s “1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now” slogan, instead of giving Malaysians a new sense of being Malaysian, the reverse has taken place.

As a result, the brain drain of talented Malaysians regardless of race has again returned to the fore, despite the proposed establishment of a Talent Corporation to attract the best brains in the world to Malaysia.

DAP gearing up for Tenang by election

The DAP election machinery will be gearing up for the Tenang by-election to help ensure an opposition victory, the party's election bureau said today.

Bureau chairman Tan Kok Wai said the bureau will meet the DAP Johor committee this Thursday to discuss the by-election.

It has yet to be decided which party in the opposition pact will contest the by-election, but the DAP and its partners "will go all out" to ensure an opposition win, he said in a statement.

The by-election follows the death of Barisan Nasional assemblyman Datuk Sulaiman Taha, 59, early today at the Ampang Puteri Hospital here due to complications arising from diabetes.-Bernama