KLANG (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The Selangor palace has issued a statement stressing Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah's neutral stand in the general election.

"I would like to emphasise the Selangor palace and I have always been neutral and have not taken sides with any political party in this country," Sultan Sharafuddin said in the statement on Friday (April 20) signed by his private secretary Datuk Munir Bani.

"I have no links to any form of political rivalry and do not interfere in political matters within the state or in the country."

Selangor, Malaysia's most industrialised state, is controlled by federal opposition parties in the last 10 years. The state's menteri besar is Datuk Seri Azmin Ali from Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

Sultan Sharafuddin said he always believed and respected the people's power to choose leaders suitable to represent them, in line with the country's parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy systems.

The statement came after just over a week following comments by Johor's Crown Prince, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, that was widely read as showing pro-Barisan Nasional (BN) leaning.

The prince in his statement on the Facebook page of his football team on April 7 asked Johoreans to be wary of a "forked-tongue individual", which many people see as criticisms against opposition chief Tun Mahathir Mohamad.

Tunku Ismail later said he had no political bias but merely wanted to protect Johor, after his comments were heavily criticised on social media.

Selangor's Sultan Sharafuddin in his statement on Friday said he always believed and respected the people's power to choose leaders suitable to represent them, in line with the country's parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy systems.

"I would like to remind all citizens, especially in Selangor, not to create issues which can give rise to strife and disturbance during the election period,'' said Sultan Sharafuddin.

He hoped the May 9 general election would be conducted smoothly without any agitation or disorder amongst the people.

The Selangor ruler's message comes in the wake of a fake news story that went viral on social media recently, claiming that Sultan Sharafuddin had asked voters to reject both the ruling Barisan Nasional and opposition pact Pakatan Harapan.