Khalid Ibrahim Was Sacked From PKR. What Now?

PKR deputy president Azmin Ali has been appointed as the new Selangor menteri besar, according to a letter sent out by the Selangor palace today.

themalaysianinsider.com

Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah was in favour of Azmin as the new Selangor menteri besar to replace Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim. He will be the 15th Selangor MB.

themalaysianinsider.com

Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman, Mohamed Azmin Ali was officially sworn-in as the 15th Selangor Menteri Besar at approximately 10.0am today, replacing Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

astroawani.com

Selangor’s ruler had no choice but to delay naming a new mentri besar to take over from Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim because PKR and DAP refused to obey the sultan’s decree to nominate more candidates, a palace official said today.

themalaymailonline.com

The Selangor Sultan's private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani said PKR and DAP had complicated the appointment process, forcing the ruler to look for prospective candidates other than the one name handed in by the two Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties. “The delay in appointing a mentri besar this time was due to the strife within PKR and the inability from parties within Pakatan Rakyat to come to a consensus to choose a candidate for mentri besar,” Munir said in an official statement.

themalaymailonline.com

Munir denied allegations that the palace had interfered in the MB crisis, saying that the Selangor Sultan was acting within his powers and following the state constitution. "YB Azmin Ali is also PKR deputy president. Therefore the Sultan is confident that he would have the support of not only PKR, but also PAS and DAP, the parties which form the coalition government ruling Selangor now," he added.

themalaymailonline.com

The new Selangor Mentri Besar will be sworn in next Tuesday at 10am in Istana Alam Shah, Palace sources have revealed.

Citing anonymous sources from the palace, the online portal said ‎invitation cards had been sent out to state leaders, elected representatives and local dignitaries requesting their attendance.

abnxcess.com

It is understood that the choice of the new Mentri Besar will be revealed soon, as a final decision on the post has been made.

PKR and DAP are steadfast in nominating only Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for the Selangor mentri besar post despite the Sultan of Selangor’s request for Pakatan Rakyat component parties to submit more than two names each for consideration.

Nik Nazmi, 32, is the deputy state speaker as well as the Seri Setia assemblyman. He was Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim's political secretary, before‎ Faekah Husin took over the role. He clinched the PKR Youth chief position in the party elections, despite unofficial results naming Batu Caves assemblyman Amirudin Shari‎ the winner.

The component parties said the decision to only nominate one candidate was in line with the convention practised by Pakatan when it again won in Selangor in 2013 and nominated only one name – Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim – and was accepted by the Ruler. The statement said the move to nominate only Dr Wan Azizah was in line with the convention, especially since the Kajang assemblyman had a majority support of at least 30 state representatives, including herself.

PKR and DAP might insist that Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is their only choice as Selangor Menteri Besar but there is a growing belief that newly-elected youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad could take the post after the state ruler decreed that each party within Pakatan Rakyat (PR) propose more than two names for the post.

themalaysianinsider.com

A PKR source said Nik Nazmi's name surfaced as the third candidate – alongside party president Dr Wan Azizah and deputy president Azmin Ali – before the results of the PKR Youth elections were announced on August 21.

"Nik Nazmi is now the most senior ‎PKR member among the Selangor assemblymen after he won the position recently. So it is very fitting for him to be chosen as the third candidate," a source told The Malaysian Insider.

themalaysianinsider.com

The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharifuddin Idris Shah has postponed the resignation of Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as the state's menteri besar. Khalid made the announcement in a brief speech after he had an audience with the State's ruler at approximately 4.40pm.

astroawani.com

The sultan of Selangor has consented to Abdul Khalid Ibrahim's request to relinquish his post as menteri besar. However, the ruler had asked him to remain at the helm until a replacement is appointed.

Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has requested the Pakatan Rakyat component parties to submit at least two names for the post of the new mentri besar.

"To ensure political stability in Selangor, I have indicated my intention to resign to the Sultan. However, the Sultan has delayed the acceptance of my letter until the next mentri besar is named," he said. Speaking to reporters here Tuesday, Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said the Sultan had informed him as such after seeking an audience with him at the Palace.

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has endorsed Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah, who is also Kajang assemblyman, as their sole candidate for the post of Selangor Menteri Besar (MB).

The hour-long Pakatan Rakyat (PR) presidential council meeting yesterday was “cordial”, but dominated by one issue: PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali’s insistence that PKR deputy president Azmin Ali also be considered to replace Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, a source said.

themalaysianinsider.com

This was a follow up to the decision taken by a special meeting of PAS's Central Committee earlier today which named Dr Wan Azizah and PKR deputy president Mohamad Azmin Ali as the party's choices to replace current MB Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim .

“Mustafa Ali tried to push for PR to sign two names right until the end of the meeting: Azmin Ali and Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. “But he was the minority view and at the end of the day, the PR consensus prevailed. This was the majority view of PR: that we should only push one name,” a senior PR leader told The Malaysian Insider on condition of anonymity.

themalaysianinsider.com

PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who announced this after a leadership council meeting yesterday said Pakatan would write to the palace to inform Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah of the decision. He expressed appreciation to PAS for deciding to stick with Pakatan and for agreeing to replace Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim who was sacked from PKR.

Azmin, who was also at the same press conference, said he appreciated PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s gesture in nominating him alongside Dr Wan Azizah. “On behalf of Keadilan, I want to stress that we receive well PAS’s decision to remain in Pakatan Rakyat,” the Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman said. “But as deputy president, I will heed my party’s decision to nominate Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the new mentri besar, as stated in the statutory declarations that have been put forth,” he added.

themalaymailonline.com

Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said today he has sacked all six state executive councillors from PKR and DAP, purportedly for refusing to cooperate with him as Selangor mentri besar.

themalaymailonline.com

The sacking is effective immediately. The six out of the 10 exco members are:

DAP
Ean Yong Hian Wah - investment, industrial, new village development and eradicating illegal factories

V Ganabatirau - plantation workers, poverty and caring government

Teng Chang Khim - local government, research and development

PKR
Rodziah Ismail - welfare and women’s affairs

Daroyah Alwi - health, entrepreneur development, science, technology and innovation

Elizabeth Wong - tourism, consumer affairs and environment

He said the Selangor Sultan has given his consent on the matter, and that official letters have been sent to five out of six state executive councillors this evening. “These excos have made several statements and signed a letter for a bloc to be made for the purpose of decreasing the effectiveness of the exco. “Therefore I have written to the Sultan to ask so that these excos do not carry on their duties in the Selangor state government,” he told reporters here.

thesundaily.my

The move marks the collapse of the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor government, with the state executive consisting of Khalid (left), an Independent, and four PAS members.

With the sacking of the six exco members, the remaining Selangor exco members are all from PAS. They are Iskandar Abdul Samad, Dr Halimah Ali, Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi and Sallehen Mukhyi.

themalaysianinsider.com

The Sultan of Selangor had rejected Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail's request for an audience to explain the state’s menteri besar crisis as he had already been briefed by Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim on the matter, an aide to the sultan said today.

themalaysianinsider.com

Mohamad Munir Bani, Sultan Sharafudin Idris Shah's private secretary, said the palace had received a letter signed by opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last Sunday. The letter was sent on behalf of PKR president Dr Wan Azizah, requesting for an audience with the sultan to explain the decision made by the party's leadership.

themalaysianinsider.com

“His Majesty asked that I inform Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that His Majesty will not accept the request for audience with the PKR president because Khalid has already met with His Majesty to explain his position as the Selangor mentri besar. “In addition to that, His Royal Highness the Selangor Sultan is of the view that Khalid’s sacking as a PKR member is an internal party issue and does not threaten his position as a Selangor assemblyman or the Selangor mentri besar,” Mohamad Munir said in the statement. “His Majesty does not want to get involved in PKR’s internal matters,” he added.

themalaymailonline.com

Barisan Nasional (BN) today expressed unconditional and sincere support for Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to continue as Menteri Besar of Selangor.

therakyatpost.com

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said there are no conditions imposed behind their support and the BN state assemblymen would also support him (Khalid).

nst.com.my

He said: "Putting aside our political differences, we do not see the rationality of wanting a new leadership as what PKR wants for the state. The important thing here is continuity and the welfare of the people of Selangor."

nst.com.my

Muhyiddin also said that BN felt that it was better if there was no changes in the current leadership as several important issues must be solved especially on the water issues and restructuring of the water concessionaires. He added that BN was sincere in supporting Khalid and a stable condition for the state is what the federal government wants.

nst.com.my

“We saw no justification for a change in leadership as proposed by Pakatan Rakyat in the state.” Muhyiddin said the support was unconditional and sincere because BN wanted to see stability in the state. “If you ask how we will benefit by supporting him (Abdul Khalid), we ourselves do not know how we will gain.”

therakyatpost.com

The PKR leadership council today (9 August 2014) sacked Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim from the party for his refusal to step down as the state's chief executive officer.

Party's disciplinary board chairperson Tan Kee Kwong announced the decision after almost three hours of deliberation which began at 3pm at the PKR headquarters in Petaling Jaya. The closed-door meeting was attended by all members of the party’s leadership council with one notable absentee - Khalid.

"(Khalid) was found to have defied the party's central committee decision after a meeting on July 21 that unanimously agreed to appoint Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the new Selangor menteri besar," said Tan. He said Khalid proceeded to issue a statement the next day to state his refusal to relinquish the post "and till this very day he continues to refuse to relinquish the said post". "On that point alone, the disciplinary committee has found cause to expel him," said Tan.

On Tuesday, the PKR disciplinary committee issued Khalid with a show-cause letter ordering him to explain his defiance of the party’s instructions to quit his post as menteri besar. Khalid was also called to attend a disciplinary committee hearing yesterday to explain several other issues, such as Selangor’s water restructuring exercise and hikes in business licence fees.

“The core issue, which is that Khalid has defied clear orders from the party to resign as menteri besar, following the party’s decision to propose PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as menteri besar. “We have given him the chance to respond and he responded through two letters, which have been taken into consideration.

“As Saifuddin had mentioned, we find the contents (of the letters) showed open defiance. We asked him nicely to step down and he wouldn’t step down, and that is enough (reason),” PKR central committee member Sivarasa Rasiah told reporters that a letter sent by Khalid’s lawyers today was irrelevant to today’s decision.

Khalid responded to his sacking by saying that it was “flawed and illegal” but he acknowledged the decision. He said he would seek an audience with the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, to inform him of this latest development and listen to any views that the ruler might have to share.

In response, Khalid claimed that the show-cause letter was faulty and said the disciplinary board’s demands were both "unreasonable and suspicious". “As a party fighting for justice for all, I should also be given a real chance, not just a mirage, to answer to the allegations of my wrongdoing. “Unfortunately, the actions of YB Datuk (Tan) and the disciplinary board up until now are highly suspect,” he said, pointing to the short notice of the hearing and asked for the meeting to be postponed to Aug 15.

“Until such a time as this issue is resolved in accordance with proper procedures, laws and conventions, particularly in the Selangor Constitution, I will continue to perform my duty to the people as the Mentri Besar of Selangor to the best of my ability,” he said in a statement issued at 8pm.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution told reporters at the same press conference that today’s meeting dealt only with Khalid’s status as a PKR member, and not his position as menteri besar. In the meantime, Khalid would remain as menteri besar until he resigns or is otherwise removed from office, such as through a vote of no confidence.

He said any moves to remove Khalid from office would be announced later, but said Khalid should respect the fact that he no longer has majority support and vacate his office to make way for a sucessor.

Without PR's backing, Khalid no longer had the power to advise the sultan on managing the state, Aziz added. "This confusing situation has left Khalid with no moral ground to advise the sultan. "Khalid may be in office but he is no longer in power.”

themalaysianinsider.com

Dr Abdul Aziz Bari said the executive councillors have ceased to function with Khalid’s expulsion from PKR, likening the situation to the dismissal or resignation of a prime minister. "According to the law, when a menteri besar – similar to a prime minister – is dismissed, so is his exco or cabinet," Aziz told The Malaysian Insider.

msn.com

Reiterating that Selangor no longer has a government, which was previously led by Khalid as the MB appointed by PR, Aziz said: "The only figure with authority now is the sultan. But he is a constitutional monarch and cannot run the state.”

themalaysianinsider.com

He added that the state's administration would be affected as all matters needed the MB’s or exco's approval. "Right now at the Selangor state secretariat building, the district officers and council officers do no appear calm as usual. This is not surprising since most important decisions need the green light from the MB or the exco," he said.

themalaysianinsider.com

Following the move, PKR now has 13 assemblymen in the ‎56-seat state assembly, while PAS and DAP each have 15. The other 12 are from Umno.

Its adviser and parliamentary leader, Lim Kit Siang, said the greatest challenge facing Pakatan Rakyat now was to restore public trust and confidence in the opposition pact.

‎"There is nothing more unprincipled or dishonourable than to reduce the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor menteri besar crisis into a game of numbers when the greatest challenge facing PAS, PKR and DAP leaders is to restore the badly damaged public trust and confidence in Pakatan through a reaffirmation of the common policy platform and principles of justice, freedom, accountability, transparency and good governance as the basis of new politics in Malaysia," he said in a statement today.

‎Lim said it was "most repugnant" and "obnoxious" of anyone to even think that Khalid could join either PAS or DAP so that either party could lay claim to the MB post, or even that the former corporate captain could continue to helm the state.

"I am most gratified that all the three Pakatan Rakyat component parties of PAS, PKR and DAP have reaffirmed their commitment to Pakatan after the expulsion of Khalid from PKR yesterday," he said.

Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob has denied inviting Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim who was sacked from PKR, to join PAS, as reported yesterday.

A senior PR leader told The Malaysian Insider that Khalid was no longer an issue with PAS. "He has already been sacked and is no longer the legitimate MB. They have accepted the issue as the past. "The question on who will be the MB is the issue," said the leader on the condition of anonymity.

themalaysianinsider.com

PKR is adamant that its president Dr Wan Azizah is the only candidate for the top post, a move which has received support from its ally DAP. It was no secret that PAS itself is split on the issue of replacing Khalid with Dr Wan Azizah because of two reasons. While having a female to head the state government does not sit well with several leaders, her ability to make decisions was also questioned as she is the wife of de facto PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

themalaysianinsider.com

This led to some leaders from PAS recommending PKR's Ijok assemblyman Dr Idris Ahmad as the compromise candidate, to break the deadlock over the MB post.

themalaysianinsider.com

Now an independent assemblyman with no party backing, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim will meet the Selangor Royal Council today to discuss his position as head of the state government.

msn.com

Ramlah said it was the correct procedure for Khalid to turn to the council for advice as he had been appointed menteri besar for a second term with the sultan’s consent. “But while the sultan will be advised by this council on what his next course of action should be, His Royal Highness ultimately has the final say on what will happen to the menteri besar,” she added. And the sultan will exercise his discretion once Selangor assemblymen table a motion of no-confidence in the menteri besar when the state legislative assembly convenes.

msn.com

“If Khalid loses the no-confidence vote, he will have to once again turn to the Sultan, who has the discretion to accept PR’s candidate for the menteri besar on the basis that he believes the coalition still holds the majority confidence in the assembly. “But worst comes to worst, a defeated Khalid will request that the Sultan dissolves the assembly, and the Sultan agrees, triggering fresh state polls,” she said.

msn.com

Tan added that Khalid has 14 days to appeal the decision from the time he is officially notified of his sacking, after which the PKR leadership council would decide whether to form a special committee to hear the appeal.

It is still not known if Khalid will join any other party or will simply become the lone independent assemblyman.

themalaymailonline.com

Abdul Khalid Ibrahim today said the Selangor sultan has consented for him to stay on as the state’s menteri besar despite his expulsion from PKR. He announced this after meeting Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah at Istana Alam Shah in Klang this morning.

Speaking at a press conference at the State Secretariat building this afternoon, Abdul Khalid, who appeared upbeat, insisted that he still had the majority support of the state assembly. Abdul Khalid said he had informed this to the Selangor sultan. “Tuanku was satisfied with my explanation which I provided and therefore he consented for me to hold the Selangor menteri besar position,” he said.

However, he did not indicate how he had convinced the monarch of his support. “Until there are new developments, I will remain as Selangor menteri besar and conduct my duties as usual,” said Abdul Khalid.