The Kelantan state legislative assembly decides today the PAS government's move to amend the state constitution to define the power of the Sultan. In garnering support for this resolution Nik Aziz Nik Mat, the PAS Mentri Besar, laments that under the state constitution, the Sultan appoints the state civil servants on the advice of the mentri besar. He goes on to say that under the system of democracy with constitutional monarchy, the chief executive should have the power over the transfer of state officers.

Yet, he has likened himself to a clerk in the mentri besar's office because he has no power over civil servants in the state. He said he would not be informed beforehand about the transfer of state officers, knowing only about it later through a copy of the transfer list extended to him.

He accuses government officers who do not carry out policies decided by the state executive council of committing a sin in Islam, although it would be more like a dereliction of duty!

Considering that he has taken on the mantle of being guardian of the next world by calling upon deeds in this world as being sin or otherwise rather than limiting himself to worldly measures, I wonder how he will regard his own position now.

Is it not that the Kelantan state constitution in respect of the Sultan's powers similar in some ways to the powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Conference of Rulers in the appointment of the Chief Justice of Malaysia? In the latter case is it not that the prime minister advises the Agong who then refers to the Conference of Rulers for them to make the appointment?

Did we not see that in the appointment of the present Chief Justice Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah the Conference of Rulers preceded the advice of the prime minister in announcing the appointment? When the possibility of a constitutional crisis arising became known when the prime minister revealed that he did not know of any nominations for the Chief Justice's position even after the Conference of Rulers had issued the letter of appointment and requesting the appointee to attend a swearing in, did not Nik Aziz and PAS together with the rest in the Barisan Alternatif take the side of the Conference of Rulers?

Well, now that the mentri besar has decided that he has the honorific position to decide if one commits sin when there is only a simple dereliction of duty, can he tell all of us now if it is not sin when in two almost very identical circumstances he takes quite opposing positions?

Just because it was the Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, he figured it was all right for the Conference of Rulers to act without the advice of the prime minister as required by the federal constitution.

On the other hand when the Sultan of Kelantan puts him in a position that is no different from what Dr Mahathir faced less than a year ago he screams and shouts and wants to change the constitution.

Can the mentri besar not for one minute come down from the pedestal he has put himself on and deal with this contradiction first before pushing through his change in the Kelantan state constitution?