LIKELY CANDIDATES TO REPLACE KHALID?

In plain speak, only Khalid can sack himself, unless the assembly moved to amend the consitution to debuff a menteri besar from such immunity. Should such an amendment take place, BN members may set to oppose following BN chairman and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s endorsement on Khalid’s willingness to work with the party on various matters.

New Straits Times

The tussle for leadership in Selangor has revealed great dissension between the power brokers in the party, each with its own agenda for political gains through the removal of Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim as the menteri besar. Where cloak-and-dagger overtones to topple Khalid have failed, public admonishment has taken centre stage, with observers and party insiders drawing up possible replacements for him. However, Khalid has refused to heed calls for his resignation. National Professors’ Council political cluster head Professor Datuk Dr Mustafa Ishak believes that the problem is central within PKR’s echelon.

At the State Legislative Assembly

Parti Keadilan: 14

DAP: 14 (not including Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh who has been appointed state Speaker)

PAS: 15

BN: 12

Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, 62

PKR president Wan Azizah’s name first tipped to replace Khalid after her husband, party de facto chief and opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was not eligible to contest in the Kajang by-election in March. However, party insiders say Wan Azizah was rather reluctant to replace Khalid due to their political cooperation and Khalid’s close rapport with the Sultan of Selangor. It was Dr Wan Azizah who forwarded his name to be appointed as menteri besar for a second term after the 13th General Election. The move, however, was much to the chagrin of her deputy, Azmin Ali.

Support: Mustafa agrees that it is too early to gauge the support in the state assembly for Dr Wan Azizah since she won the Kajang by-election only in March.

“Furthermore, she does not have adequate working experience with the government. It will be difficult for her to exert her leadership as it is already difficult for her to do so in the party. Ultimately, it is Anwar who will have to make the choice between Dr Wan Azizah or Azmin.”

Azmin Ali, 50, PKR deputy president

Azmin is Anwar’s blue-eyed boy said to have been promised by his mentor to take over Khalid’s mantle during the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election. Azmin has openly chided Anwar and his other cohorts for holding rallies after the 13th GE, saying that it was irresponsible for party leaders to neglect the issues at hand — stem from claims of weak leadership — tied to the reappointment Khalid as menteri besar.

Support: Azmin has at least three Selangor assemblymen to back him up — PKR leadership council secretary Amirudin Shari (Batu Caves), Selangor PKR information chief Shuhaimi Shafiei (Sri Muda) and Xavier Jayakumar Arulanandam (Seri Andalas). At the same time, Khalid’s aides claimed that Azmin has managed to rope in several disgruntled businessmen to his side after failing to procure lucrative deals from the state government. Mustafa suggested that DAP, too, might extend its support to Azmin in an effort to reap political mileage from the non-Muslim community. DAP has been at odds with Khalid over the alleged lack of haste in addressing religious issues in Selangor.

Iskandar Abdul Samad, 53, Selangor Pas commissioner

Iskandar, the current Selangor Pas commissioner, was never the first choice to ascend to the menteri besar’s office, but Pas ulama information chief Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali has claimed that the position is rightfully theirs, following the number of state seats won and the requirement to have a Malay Muslim for the post as opposed to DAP’s line-up. However, Iskandar has openly supported Khalid to remain as menteri besar and described calls for his resignation as irrelevant.

Support: Khalid’s former political secretary, Faekah Husin, however, opined that Pas in essence, is not keen to have a woman as menteri besar due to their conservative outlook. Pas has held a meeting between state and national party leaders on the controversy surrounding Khalid but the actual outcome is yet to be made known. Mustafa says Pas is usually collective in its decisions and Iskandar’s support for Khalid could mean support from all 15 Pas assemblymen for him to remain as menteri besar.

The Selangor State Constitution 1959, Article 53 (6) stipulates how the menteri besar can be removed:

“If the Menteri Besar ceases to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly, then unless at his request His Highness dissolves the Legislative Assembly, he shall tender the resignation of the state Executive Council.”

In plain speak, only Khalid can sack himself, unless the assembly moved to amend the consitution to debuff a menteri besar from such immunity. Should such an amendment take place, BN members may set to oppose following BN chairman and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s endorsement on Khalid’s willingness to work with the party on various matters.