Azmin told to initiate constitutional reforms

The Selangor Constitution needs to be immediately changed, says a member of PKR's supreme council.

PETALING JAYA: PKR Supreme Council member Gooi Hsiao Leung has called for “immediate” reforms to the Selangor State Constitution to “avert another crisis” in any future appointment of the state’s Menteri Besar (MB).

He urged Azmin Ali to use his new role as the MB to initiate the reforms.

Gooi, who is the MP for Alor Setar, alleged that the Sultan’s decision to appoint Azmin instead of PKR President Wan Azizah Ismail to the post was a result of bad advice.

Yesterday, the Sultan’s private secretary, said in a press statement that the Selangor palace had to use its discretion to appoint Azmin because Pakatan Rakyat had been unable to agree on a candidate and PKR and DAP had created a complication by refusing to submit more names than just Wan Azizah’s.

“Like many Malaysians, I am truly concerned that the palace has been ill-advised on the exercise of it’s constitutional ‘discretion’ in the appointment of the MB,” Gooi said.

“The explanation put forward by the Sultan’s private secretary on why Azmin was selected instead of Wan Azizah does not hold water whatsoever and is in fact a departure from the most fundamental constitutional principle and consideration – that the MB to be appointed must enjoy the majority support and confidence of the state assembly.”

He noted that Wan Azizah had the backing of 30 statutory declarations from PKR and DAP, including Azmin, constituting the majority support of the state assembly.

“Furthermore,” he said, “the manner in which the palace had been wrongfully advised in vetting potential MB candidates has also created public confusion as to the role of a constitutional monarchy as practiced in the Westminster parliamentary system followed by us, raising the serious question of who actually selects the MB. Is it the monarchy or the ruling party elected by the people?”

He urged Azmin to appoint a legal committee to “conduct a detailed review of the state constitution and to propose necessary amendments to make the state constitution clearer in defining the role and function of the constitutional monarchy in line with the practice of the Westminster parliamentary system adopted by our country, especially in regard to the appointment of the head of government.”