The Selangor palace has sent out invitations for the swearing-in ceremony of Datuk Mohd Khusrin Munawi as state secretary before Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah on Thursday, Jan 6, as the dispute over his appointment by the federal government continues unabated.
Private secretary to the sultan, Mohamad Munir Bani, when contacted Today confirmed that Mohd Khusrin who is Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) director, will be sworn in on Thursday.
Saying the swearing-in was an administrative formality, he stressed that Mohd Khusrin would have to take his oath before Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim before he could attend state executive council meetings.
Khalid's political secretary Faekah Husin confirmed that the palace had sent out invitations despite the row between the federal and the state governments over Khusrin's appointment to the post.
"Issue of appointment is still not resolved. So no question whether MB would attend (the ceremony) or not," she said in an SMS response to theSun, when asked if Khalid will attend the swearing-in ceremony.
On Monday, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan had announced that Mohd Khusrin, 54, would take over from Datuk Ramli Mahmud, 56, who completes his service tomorrow.
Mohd Sidek, who also named Sabak Bernam District Officer Marzuki Hassan, 56, to take over Mohd Khusrin’s post as JAIS director, said that the appointments had been consented to by the sultan.
It is understood that Marzuki is also to be sworn in before the sultan in the same ceremony.
The state government had immediately objected to Khusrin's appointment, claiming that the mentri besar was never consulted or advised about it.
Munir reportedly said on Tuesday that the Sultan had given his consent to Khusrin’s appointment on Dec 10, before Khalid’s letter proposing three shortlisted candidates reached the palace.
Meanwhile, Ipoh Timor MP Lim Kit Siang said the chief secretary's appointment of Khusrin without consulting the mentri besar violated the Selangor Constitution.
He said the argument that there was no mention in the state constitution that the MB's consent was needed was flimsy and unacceptable 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".
He said what was pertinent is that constitutional conventions like meaningful consultation with the MB and the sultan on the appointment of the top state civil servant are maintained to uphold the integrity of the state constitution.
"Article 55 of the Selangor State Constitution on 'sultan to act on advice' provides that the sultan shall act in accordance with the advice of the State Executive Council except for specific instances – and the appointment of the state secretary is not one of the exceptional cases where the sultan may act in his discretion," Lim said.
