Newly-appointed Selangor state secretary Khusrin Munawi has failed to secure a meeting with Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim to take his oath of secrecy.

The oath must precede his assuming of duties such as participation in the state cabinet meetings and other ex-officio duties.

NONE "I have written to (Khalid) today, and have tried speaking to his private secretary but have not received a response," he told reporters at the state secretariat building, Shah Alam.

Despite failing to take his oath, Khusrin said he is still able to perform duties such as those involving the administration of the state government, human resources and other planning matters.

However, Khusrin said his swearing-in ceremony before the Selangor sultan will go one as scheduled on Thursday.

Khusrin was appointed to the position by the federal Public Service Commission (PSC),  but the state government is challenging this on legal grounds.

It was argued that the menteri besar must be consulted on the appointment.

Moreover, the state government is not interested in Khusrin because of their problematic relationship when the latter headed the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais).

'I have no agenda'

Some Pakatan Rakyat leaders claim that the PSC’s arbitrary appointment was an attempt by the federal government to sabotage the Selangor administration.

Khusrin was non-committal when asked about this.

“I am not that important. I cannot make such big an impact. I can’t even guarantee that my wife will vote one way or the other,” he said.

Likening the impasse as the "biggest challenge (he) has faced as a civil servant", Khusrin said he has "no agenda" and that his role is merely to be facilitator between the administrative and executive arms of the state goverbment.

"My appointment is legitimate... as long as I am not instructed by the PSC to be transferred to the federal level, I will stay here," he said.

During the 20-minute press conference, Khusrin spent most of the time explaining his various actions during his tenure as Jais director which has drawn flak from the state government.

This included the arrest of former Perlis mufti Asri Zainul Abidin for giving a religious speech without Jais permission, the revocation of permission granted to Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad and the ban on non-Muslims in mosques and prayer halls.

Khusrin defended his actions, adding that he was bound to act by laws such as the Selangor Islamic Administration Enactment 2003 as well as the sultan’s decree.

"These were not my decisions alone, but were made at Jais and Selangor Islamic Council (Mais) meetings," he said defensively.

'Never campaigned for Umno'

Despite his background, Khusrin played it coy when asked about if he would support the state government, such as in a hypothetical dispute between the state and Mais.

NONE "I think there is no real problems, just small issues that have been politicised. I will have to go on a case-by-case basis," he said.

He also refuted claims that he had campaigned for BN in the Hulu Selangor by-election and had raised the Umno logo.

However, he admitted that he is not very fluent in the English language, but that this would not affect his ability to perform or affect his chequered relationship with the MB and his exco.

"It is not a problem. We cannot force people to like us... I have no background in Islamic studies but it was not a problem in Jais... I am a civil officer, and the basic principles of public administration is the same.

"I doubt that my explanations will be accepted (by my detractors), but that's up to them as I only want the rakyat to not be confused by all the talk, sometimes by those who don't even understand the constitution."

VIDEO | 21.16 mins