The long slog over who will lead the Selangor state government will not be ending any time soon, as current Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, who wanted to step down from his post, was asked to carry on by Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah – for now.
Khalid told The Malaysian Insider‘s Anisah Shukry yesterday that until a new MB has been appointed, the royal palace wants him to continue serving the state in his current capacity.
He had written to the Sultan that he intended to resign, in order to ensure that the Selangor administration would proceed to operate in an “orderly and effective manner”.
With the Sultan’s latest decision, Khalid will have to carry on as MB, running the state with a skeleton crew of the bare minimum four executive councillors, all from PAS, until a new MB is appointed. He previously fired six excos from PKR and DAP after he himself was expelled from PKR.
The Sultan also asked for the three component Pakatan Rakyat parties to put forward more than two names as MB candidates for the consideration of the palace, according to Khalid.
Thus far, PR leaders have nominated PKR president Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, and later added PKR deputy president Azmin Ali as an alternative. While PKR and DAP have been set on installing Wan Azizah as the new MB from the outset, PAS has been the glaring holdout, and took until only August 17 to officially agree -grudgingly – with the coalition’s position on the matter.
When asked if he would consider taking up the position if he were nominated and reappointed, Khalid said “no”.
“I’m very happy now after being released from the job,” he said with a laugh.
See Also:
Sultan of Selangor consents to Khalid Ibrahim continuing as Menteri Besar
Selangor palace doesn’t want to meet PKR to talk about MB Khalid’s expulsion
PKR-PAS discussions on Selangor MB hits dead end
MB Khalid fires all PKR and DAP Excos; Pakatan Rakyat loses control of Selangor
Six fired Selangor excos say sacking was illegal, are going to work as usual
Selangor MB crisis: PAS excos will quit if Khalid appoints UMNO assemblymen to cabinet
Selangor MB Crisis: Fired Pakatan excos given two weeks to clear out their offices
Selangor MB Crisis: Stuff that happened yesterday
Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim apologises to people of Selangor for MB crisis
Selangor MB crisis: Sultan cuts short overseas trip, coming home August 23
Anwar Ibrahim says the Selangor MB crisis is all a part of his reform agenda
