OVER TO THE SULTAN: No basis to reject Azizah who has support of 43 reps

PETALING JAYA - Following PAS's endorsement of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) chief Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for the Selangor mentri besar post, all eyes are now on whether the Sultan would give his consent for her to take over the job.

Pandamaran assemblyman Eric Tan Pok Siong, a lawyer, believes that given the clear support she has from all three Pakatan Rakyat component parties, the Sultan is unlikely to not give his consent.

Tan said based on the state constitution, an assemblyman (must be a Malay Muslim) who has the support of the majority of the state assemblymen can be recommended for the MB post.

"Of course the Sultan, by giving his reasons, has the power to ask for the recommendation of other candidates. However, as the supreme ruler of the state, he more than anyone else would want stability in the state; and he cares for the state more than anyone else."

The current speculation includes whether the State Legislative Assembly would be dissolved and whether the crisis would drag on until the next assembly meeting in November when a vote of no-confidence can be moved against Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Tan told Oriental Daily News that given the loss of support for Khalid and an MB candidate has been recommended by Pakatan by consensus, there is no reason why the assembly should be dissolved.

Dissolving the state assembly means to "go back" to the people for a decision, he pointed out. "But in Malaysia, the MB is not directly elected by the people," he said, explaining why the need to "go back to the people" does not arise.

He added that based on the state constitution, the MB should resign once he no longer has the support of the majority of the assemblymen.

He said although the state constitution is silent on what can be done should the MB decide otherwise, or whether the Sultan can remove the MB, based on the Federal Court judgment on the Perak constitution crisis in 2010, the Sultan can sack the MB in this case.

On the likelihood of a vote of no-confidence against Khalid, he said although it is the standard procedure to dismiss an MB, it is not the only way, "unless the Sultan so wishes". -Sundaily