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PETALING JAYA (Dec 28, 2010): The appointment of Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) director Datuk Mohd Khusrin Munawi as the new state secretary effective Jan 1 has been confirmed by the palace.

The private secretary to the Sultan of Selangor, Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani, said Khusrin’s appointment was final as it had been approved by the sultan.

"In my view, the decision has been confirmed because His Highness has given the appointment his blessings,” he had told Malay daily Sinar Harian yesterday.

Munir explained that according to the state constitution, the appointment of the state secretary comes under the purview of the Public Services Commission.

Khusrin had been named to replace Datuk Ramli Mahmud who retires on Friday.

The state government in a statement on Monday said Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim had sent the sultan a letter on the matter and would seek an audience with the ruler tomorrow.

Today, a state administration official who declined to be named maintained that Khusrin’s appointment was "unofficial" because the MB had not been consulted.

"We have written a letter seeking the sultan’s audience and it has been granted. We will know when the mentri besar meets with the sultan. We will wait for the outcome," the official said.

Asked about the next course of action, he said the state would "cross the bridge when it gets there".

Contacted by theSun, Munir in a text message said: "I did comment. Please read (Sinar Harian)."

The Selangor government has objected to Khusrin’s appointment as Khalid was never advised of it.

The state had set up a panel to interview eight candidates for the post, and the MB subsequently forwarded three shortlisted names to the sultan for approval earlier this month.

theSun had reported that according to sources, Khusrin’s name was not one of them.