Sultan Leaves To MB To Decide On Elizabeth Wong's Position

SHAH ALAM, Feb 25 (Bernama) -- The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, is leaving it to Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to decide on the position of Bukit Lanjan assemblyman Elizabeth Wong whose nude photographs were circulated recently.
The sultan's private secretary, Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani, said this was expressed by the sultan when Khalid had an audience with the ruler today to brief him on the political developments in the state and to get his advice on the issue involving Wong, who had offered to resign because of the pictures.
"The sultan had commanded me to inform that his royal highness could not offer any guidance or advice to the menteri besar in the matter related to Wong as it was still under police investigation and that it involved her political position.
"It is his stance as the Sultan of Selangor to be above politics," he said in a statement sent to Bernama here today.
Mohamad Munir said the sultan believed that whatever decision by Khalid would be made with "accurateness, fair and with wisd om" by taking into consideration the interests of the people and the state.
"His Royal Highness is upset and worried as of late the intrusion of someone's privacy and private rights is being used to destroy one's dignity and reputation," he added.
He said the sultan was sad and sympathised with Wong for the unfortunate event that befell her and hoped that she would remain calm and be patient in continuing with her life.
The sultan said it was a sad thing to have one's life and private rights made public and subjected to public scrutiny by publicising it in the mass media, he added.
Wong, 37, tendered her resignation to Khalid on Feb 17.
She is now believed to be abroad and has reiterated her stand to resign as state assemblyman and also state executive councillor despite advice from the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) leadership to reconsider her decision while on leave.
Wong, who is Wanita PKR information chief, won the Bukit Lanjan state seat in the March 2008 general election after defeating Barisan Nasional's Datin Paduka Yong Dai Ying with a 5,155-votes majority.

tunku : the Sultan has leave it to the selangor's mb to decide. i hope khalid ibrahim will accept the resignation as an exco member but not as state assembly person. we do not want by election in bukit lanjan as the time now is to concentrate on our economy problems.