Selangor Royal Council Member Defends Sultan’s Public Decrees on State Issues

KUALA LUMPUR: A member of the Selangor Royal Council has defended the decision of the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, to publicly address issues involving the state government, stressing that matters affecting public interest should not necessarily be discussed behind closed doors.

Selangor Royal Council member Datuk Salehuddin Saidin said it would be inappropriate to expect every royal decree directed at the state administration to remain private, especially when the issues raised involve the welfare and concerns of the people.

According to him, the Sultan’s statements were not intended to interfere with executive powers but were issued after receiving advice from members of the Selangor Royal Council.

He questioned how the public would know the role of the monarchy within the country’s system of governance if repeated royal advice to the government continued to be ignored without any public explanation.

Salehuddin made the remarks during a special edition of Buletin AWANI on Saturday, where he also stressed the importance of understanding the state administration system under the Laws of the Constitution of Selangor.

He explained that the Sultan of Selangor remains the head of the state government, while executive authority is exercised jointly with the State Executive Council led by the Menteri Besar.

Salehuddin also cautioned politicians against using the concept of constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy to suggest that the Malay rulers no longer possess meaningful authority.

“The powers of the rulers still exist. The public must understand that the monarchy serves as a check-and-balance mechanism over the actions of both the federal and state governments,” he said.

The issue gained attention following the opening ceremony of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly on April 20, where Sultan Sharafuddin raised concerns regarding pig farming activities and referred to certain parties who were allegedly unwilling to comply with royal directives.

The matter was later brought up during the state assembly debate by Seri Kembangan assemblyperson Wong Siew Ki, who expressed support for the Sultan’s decree while proposing modern closed-farming practices and technological investments to address environmental pollution concerns raised by residents.

However, the issue continued to spark public debate after the Sultan reiterated on May 7 that he remained opposed to any pig farming activities being carried out in any district within Selangor.