KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 — The Elders of the Council of the Royal Court of Selangor said today the Sultan had the right under the state constitution to be consulted, to advise and to warn in matters pertaining to his subjects' interests.
The council said it was also within the constitutional parameters for the Sultan to express his views or make his opinions known in any issue which involved the people's interests.
"We are of the view that there is no legal constraint for the Sultan to express his opinions concerning any matter within the parameters of his domain, namely the state's affairs.
"Indeed, it is the Sultan's right to express his opinion on government policy," the council said in a statement to Bernama.
Among members of the council are Tan Sri Mohd Azmi Kamaruddin, Tan Sri Abu Hassan Omar, Jeneral (Rtd) Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Mohd Ali, Tan Sri Syed Yusof Syed Nasir, Datuk Abdul Halim Abdul Rauf and Datuk Paduka Raja Wan Mahmood Pawanteh.
They were responding to a recent statement by DAP chairman Karpal Singh that there was a disturbing trend of Rulers interfering in state government affairs.
Karpal, who is now under police investigation for his statement questioning the right of the Sultan of Perak over the transfer of the Perak Religious Department director Datuk Jamry Sury, had also implied that the Sultan of Selangor too was meddling in state administrative matters.
Perak and Selangor are among five states that are now under Pakatan Rakyat state governments. The other three are Penang, Kedah and Kelantan.
The council pointed out that Karpal's remarks were baseless, unfounded and irresponsible.
"The council believes that this statement was somewhat made to create a misconception in the minds of the people as to the role of His Royal Highness as the Sultan of Selangor, who is merely exercising his rights as enshrined in the State Constitution.
"It is within our knowledge that the Sultan of Selangor in his weekly meeting with the Menteri Besar of Selangor has always given his views and advice in matters of importance to the people of Selangor," the council said.
The council, however, stressed that the Sultan had always maintained his neutral stance as well as upheld his detachment of any political preference or interference on executive matters.
"We would like to emphasise that the Sultan is politically impartial," they said.
The council said the Sultan's sole concern was the people's well-being and the interests of the state to ensure his subjects would continue to enjoy peace, harmony and prosperity. — Bernama
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