IT is the prerogative of the state governments to move any of their civil servants without consulting the head of a particular state, Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) said yesterday.

Speaking at the parliament lobby, he said state governments should not feel intimidated by royal administrations as they were not answerable in matters concerning civil administration.

Referring to the events involving the reinstatement of Datuk Jamry Suri to the position of Perak Islamic Religious Department director after being directed to do so by the Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah, Karpal said the Perak state government should not have changed its decision to transfer Jamri.

Karpal said the situation reflected badly on the current administration and it would be seen as weak.

"The Perak Menteri Besar has buckled and wilted under the intimidation by the royalty and this sets a very bad precedence if the royalty interferes in the state administration."



He added that this was not the first time for such interventions by the royalty, citing the appointment of the menteri besar in Terengganu and Perlis.

At a press conference later, Perak senior executive councillor Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's call for the Sultan to strip him of his datukship, was politically motivated.

"He is trying to rope in the palace to fight the Pakatan Rakyat government in the state. This is unscrupulous and unethical for a minister.

"Furthermore, he is promoting falsehood in making untruthful claims that I issued a statement which contained anti-Sultan sentiments.

"As far as the state government is concerned, we follow the law and uphold the Federal Constitution which provides for the constitutional democratic monarchy and I left the issue for the Menteri Besar to handle.

"I only answered questions by a journalist and stated that the Menteri Besar informed me - after the transfer - that he found it difficult working with this officer and I said in general, civil servants must respect the people's democratic choice in putting the new government in place," Ngeh said.

He explained that the Perak government had been magnanimous.

Civil servants who refuse to work with the present state government will have to face the consequences which range from being transferred or have their services terminated.

Ngeh declined to comment on Karpal's statement.