15 PKR MPs team up to oust Khalid

(The Star) – A group of 15 PKR MPs close to party vice president Azmin Ali have teamed-up to oust Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as Selangor Mentri Besar.

Azmin, who is Gombak MP and Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman started the ball rolling Wednesday when he tendered his resignation as director of the Selangor State Development Corporation, supposedly over the appointment of Khalid’s new political secretary Faekah Husin.

“We cannot tolerate Khalid any more and want him removed,” said one of the MPs who declined to be named.

“We will reject all positions offered to us by the state’s government linked companies and won’t have anything to do with the Selangor government until Khalid is removed,’’ he added.

He said the MPs were also unhappy with Khalid’s inability to make quick decisions, which they felt could threaten Pakatan Rakyat’s position in Selangor.

Khalid’s decision to appoint Faekah to replace his previous political secretary Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad without first consulting the party’s political bureau and other leaders was the last straw for the group.

“To make matters worse the announcement was made when both party adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail were overseas,’’ said the MP.

Adding insult to injury, he said that Khalid’s office had invited the person the political bureau had chosen to be his new political secretary to the dinner where Faekah’s appointment was announced.

“This person was invited to attend the dinner and then someone else’s name was announced instead of his. How do you think he felt?’’ said the MP.

He declined to name the person, but said he is a division chief of a Kuala Lumpur parliamentary constituency.

“We wanted the political secretary to be a bridge between the state, the party and the grassroots. Faekah is not a grassroots person and that’s why we feel she is unsuitable for the job,’’ he added.