Without mincing words, constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari said the Selangor Sultan has no power to request for more names for the post of menteri besar.

Aziz also said the request was unconstitutional since there is a candidate, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, with a clear majority support.

"Majority is the only criteria, thus the sultan has no power to ask for more names when there is already a majority," he told Malaysiakini today.

Aziz pointed out that under the parliamentary system, the government is owned and answers to the legislative house and not to the palace.

And the only role of the palace, he added, is to appoint whoever has majority support in the House.

Yesterday, the Selangor palace had issued a statement that the sultan has deferred Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s resignation until the latter’s replacement is appointed.

The ruler also asked PKR, DAP and PAS to each nominate two candidates as successors to the post.

"This is in tune with the convention that has been practised in all previous menteri besar appointments," the sultan's press secretary Muhammad Munir Bani said.

However, PKR and DAP both insisted on naming Wan Azizah only, while PAS is yet to decide.

Meanwhile, Aziz said the request for more names when there is a clear majority also deviated from the usual practice in Malaysia.

Normally, he added, the sultans, governors and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong accepted any name submitted by the majority party.

"Note the smooth changes the Agong and sultans accepted and appointed incoming leaders without a fuss.

"Remember Tunku Abdul Rahman-Tun Abdul Razak in 1970? And then Hussein Onn-Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1981?

"Later Mahathir-Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2003 and Badawi-Najib Abdul Razak in 2009?" he said, referring to past transitions of power for the prime minister's post.

Selangor crisis today

9.47am: Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak accuses PKR of ' open nepotism ' for nominating Dr Wan Azizah Ismail as MB.

12.59pm: PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali says the party will not nominate its own candidates, but will submit at least two names from PKR.

1pm: PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim says Wan Azizah chosen not because she is his wife but because she is PKR president.

1.33pm: Legal expert Abdul Aziz Bari says that sultan has no power to ask for more than one MB candidate.

2.45pm: MB Khalid Ibrahim denies PKR's and DAP's assertion that they had only nominated him in 2013, although the palace asked for four names.

4pm: With rife speculation of Pakatan break up, PAS MP Khalid Samad says those in PAS who don’t believe in Pakatan can leave the party.

4.35pm: Anwar refutes Khalid’s claim that more than one name was submitted in 2013.

5.45pm: DAP reveals that in 2013, it was Khalid's office who drafted the letter to the palace for Pakatan parties, who nominated only him.

6.17pm: The palace sends letters to Pakatan parties, telling them to submit more than two names each by Sep 3 .