Nothing can be done if the Sultan of Selangor decides to dissolve the state assembly next week as he has the power to do so, even though it will not be in accordance with Westminster tradition.

“If he decides to dissolve the state assembly on Monday, there’s nothing we can do about it,” constitutional law expert Abdul Aziz Bari told a forum on the Selangor crisis last night.

Aziz ( left ), however, said the sultan, as the head of state, should look at the practice of other Commonwealth countries which demand that rulers be above politics.

This is important, since there is no strong reason for dissolving the state assembly in Selangor in the present case, he pointed out.

“A situation that allows for a dissolution is a hung parliament.

"It does not mean he (sultan) can do as he pleases.

“He has to look into the practice of other Commonwealth countries.

"As the head of state he has to be above politics,” Aziz said.

Path to the crisis

The Selangor crisis exploded after Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim was expelled by his party (PKR) on Aug 9 for refusing to give way to PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to replace him.

The sultan is expected to arrive from overseas today and will be meeting Khalid next week to discuss the crisis.

Malaysiakini previously reported that Khalid is expected to suggest to the sultan that the state be dissolved as one of the ways to resolve the crisis.

As such, Aziz believes that the sultan should have given the final word to Khalid on Aug 11 after his expulsion from the party - which sparked off what is happening now.

“If everything is done according to the law, everything would be much simpler,” he said.

Former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan ( right ), who acted as the moderator at last night’s forum, said she did not agree to the Selangor state assembly being  dissolved since the difference between the crisis in Selangor and Perak is in terms of the majority.

Ambiga said:“In Perak, the people voted for a Pakatan (Rakyat) government and the next day they got a Barisan (Nasional) government.

“In Selangor it is different. There is no change as Pakatan still holds the majority. This is why I supported the dissolution then (in Perak).”

Meanwhile, Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah suggested that Pakatan forms a caucus to implement the coalition’s policies to help the Selangor administration directly.

“The caucus will help avoid such problems from happening in Selangor,” she said.

Selangor crisis today

9.21am: Dr Wan Azizah denies that PKR is on a smear campaign against MB Khalid and is only laying down the facts

11.18am: Sources say PAS at Pakatan meeting yesterday reluctant to make reps sign statutory declarations to show support for Wan Azizah as MB

11.21am: Law expert says there is no basis to dissolve the Selangor assembly but if the sultan allows it, it cannot be contested

4pm: Law expert Gurdial Singh Nijar says that if the Perak assembly was not dissolved despite the three-seat majority, Selangor assembly should not either as Wan Azizah has a super-majority.

7.32pm: Anwar says that despite PAS’ reluctance, Pakatan will still only nominate Wan Azizah as its sole replacement MB candidate