Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has been dealt a major blow after the Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said today the syura (consultative) council announced yesterday is redundant.

NONE In a statement from the Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (Mais) signed by the sultan's private secretary Mohamad Munir Bani ( left ), it was clarified that the sultan had never recommended that the syura council be established.

It was also explained that the sultan had only advised that in addition to Khalid and the state mufti Tamyes Abdul Wahid, the Selangor deputy mufti Abdul Majid Omar also be included in a meeting with the church.

Mohamad Munir said the sultan was subsequently "shocked" to hear of news reports that the council was established on his advice, and had expressed his wish to clarify that this was not true.

"The sultan's position on the syura council or the setting up of inter-religious dialogue (is that), they were never assented to as the state already has the Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (Mais), Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) and the Selangor Mufti Department," said Mohamad Munir.

Yesterday, Khalid announced the establishment of the council to "resolve" the controversy that had emerged from a Jais raid on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC), which was accused of proselytising Muslims.

'Idea came from sultan'

ceramah selamatkan malaysia pas shah alam 090111 khalid ibrahim Khalid ( right ) had in a statement said the idea to form the syura council came from the Selangor sultan when they discussed the matter last week.

"I appreciate His Highness' advice regarding how best to resolve this matter satisfactorily,” Khalid said in a statement.

The controversy surrounding the Aug 3 raid by Jais has pushed the state government into a corner, as Khalid's administration has maintained silence despite brickbats from Christian groups and BN leaders.

Christian leaders and NGOs slammed Jais for allegedly carrying out an unlawful raid on the DUMC premises, while BN leaders chastised the state government for failing to control a department that is under its administration.

However, Jais has denied that it conducted a raid, saying it did not barge in on the dinner but merely questioned a group of Muslims who attended the event on suspicion that they were being proselytised.

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