Most PKR state reps want Khalid as Selangor MB, say sources

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 — A majority of Selangor PKR lawmakers and division chiefs want Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to be reappointed as the state’s mentri besar, party sources have said, amid protests by a faction led by the party’s deputy president Azmin Ali.
The Malaysian Insider understands the endorsement was made at a closed-door “gathering” held at Empire Hotel in Subang Jaya on Monday where most of the 14 state assemblymen, 16 division chiefs and a few federal MPs who attended felt that Abdul Khalid should be allowed to lead the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Selangor government for a second term.
“The meeting was supposed to have Azmin there but he didn’t turn up. Most of those who turned up want TSKI to be MB,” the source told The Malaysian Insider, referring to Khalid by his initials TSKI.
Several PKR leaders, including former state executive councillor and second-term Bukit Lanjan assemblyman Elizabeth Wong, confirmed that the Empire Hotel meeting took place.
“Yes,” she said via a short text message when asked if the meeting included discussions about the mentri besar post.
Azmin claimed yesterday PKR had bypassed the necessary consultation process in choosing a candidate for the post when a letter purportedly endorsing Abdul Khalid for the post was allegedly sent to the Selangor palace.
He also appeared to question Abdul Khalid’s leadership at a press conference yesterday, and said he was seeking a meeting with PKR’s national leaders for a consensus decision to be made on who gets to be the new Selangor MB.
Port Klang PKR division chief Yeoh Boon Lye told The Malaysian Insider that most of the party’s Selangor leaders felt that Abdul Khalid was pivotal to PR’s increased support in the state.
The PKR-DAP-PAS alliance won 44 out of the 56 state seats, eight more than in the last general election. PKR, however, won only 14 seats while the DAP and PAS netted 15 each.
But the despite DAP and PAS’s leading position, both parties said they would continue to allow Abdul Khalid to lead the state for a second term, in a move seen as a show of confidence in his leadership, a view echoed by Yeoh.
“We got success from Tan Sri Khalid. How can we change (him) when he led us to win? We won because of him,” he said.
The mentri besar post debacle has sparked talk that Azmin, who is also said to be vying for the position, would leave PKR following the party’s supposed endorsement of Abdul Khalid’s governance.
Azmin dismissed the speculation at yesterday’s press conference where he was flanked by some of the party’s Selangor line-up in what appeared to be a sign of protest against Abdul Khalid’s likely reappointment as the state’s chief executive.
Although the Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman was evasive when bombarded by questions for his view on the candidacy for the post, the PKR deputy president made several insinuations that leaders from the party’s Selangor chapter were against Abdul Khalid’s reappointment.
He repeated throughout the press conference that Abdul Khalid’s administration was rife with complaints of “red tape”, and at times implied that the state government had not been responsive to issues facing voters.
“In the second term, there must be a reformation of the (Selangor) administration. We have a reserve of RM2.6 billion but this means nothing if none of the benefits are felt by the people.
“The rakyat want a government that is responsive… there were complaints of rubbish not picked up, sewerage problems, roads not repaired,” he said, adding that the grievances had been brought to the attention of PKR’s central leadership several times before.
Azmin denied the criticisms were related to the mentri besar post debacle and claimed they were complaints raised by Selangor voters and the party’s state assemblymen.