The Selangor government's move to amend the state constitution was defeated after a full day of debates today, with it failing to secure the two-thirds majority required to do so.

The vote ended with 34 elected representatives for and 20 against the amendments that aimed to restore the power of appointing the state's top three civil servants to the Sultan of Selangor.

Two-thirds, or 38 out of the 56 state assemblypersons are needed to support any constitutional amendment if the assembly is to proceed beyond the first reading.

NONE Acting opposition chief Satim Diman described the sitting as a "waste of time", designed to milk political mileage on Pakatan Rakyat's opposition to the appointment of former Selangor Islamic Affairs Department director Mohd Khusrin Munawi as state secretary.

"They (Pakatan) knew they could not push the amendments through. This was merely a ploy to build political capital... they are a bunch of hypocrites who are insincere in pursuing the amendments," Satim told a press conference at a State Assembly annexe building after the sitting ended at 6.30pm.

The proposed amendments came hot on the heels of the federal government's naming of Khusrin as state secretary, to strong protests from Khalid and the Selangor government. They accused the federal leadership of disregarding convention and cutting the menteri besar out of the selection process.

Khalid had initially said that he would not agree to Khusrin taking the oath of secrecy, which is required before a state secretary can start work for the state, despite the latter having been sworn in during an investiture ceremony before the sultan on Jan 5.

However, the menteri besar changed his tune today, saying at a press conference earlier in the day that the state government was mulling the possibility of allowing Khusrin to take his oath of secrecy.

'Khalid had to make a U-turn '

Asked to comment on Khalid's apparent change of heart, Satim, who is also Seri Serdang assemblyperson, said the opposition had expected him to take such a stance.

"He knew we wouldn't support (the amendment). He was caught in his own political game, so he ended up having to make a U-turn," he said.

NONE Satim ( left ) said if Khalid was sincere in considering Khusrin as state secretary, then he "needs to work fast" and arrange for Khusrin to take his oath of secrecy as soon as possible.

Earlier when debating the proposed amendments, Satim told the state government not to be syok sendiri (self-absorbed) in pushing to change the constitution just because Pakatan could not agree with Khusrin's appointment as state secretary.

He said Pakatan was guilty of many counts of treason against the Sultan, such as Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching's alleged disregard for Islamic sensibilities in her various ‘run-in' at surau and mosques last year, Pakatan's support of the use of the term Allah by non-Muslims and Pandamaran assemblyperson Ronnie Liu's interference in the enforcing a ban on Muslims selling alcohol by the Subang Jaya Municipal Council.

'Umno will cheat, however it can'

Backbenchers' whip Azmin Ali (PKR-Bukit Antarabangsa) returned the "favour", accusing Umno of using "any means necessary to cheat the people" and paint Pakatan in a bad light.

He said Umno was uneasy with Pakatan's success in running the state on good governance, and had to resort to "undemocratic means" to sabotage the state government through the use of the police, Malaysian anti-Corruption Commission and the courts.

Azmin said that it was Umno that committed high treason in 1992 by taking away the sultan's power to appoint the top civil servants in Selangor, and at the same time denying the people of their rights since the menteri besar represents the majority of the citizens.

Ten elected representatives debated the amendment tabled, including Sulaiman Abdul Razak (BN-Permatang), Saari Sungib (PAS-Hulu Klang), Shuhaimi Shafiei (PKR-Sri Muda), Shamsudin Lias (BN-Sungai Burong), Ng Swee Lim (DAP-Sekinchan), M Manoharan (DAP-Kota Alam Shah) Abdul Shukur Idrus (BN-Kuang) and Amirudin Shari (PKR-Batu Caves).

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