PKR buying time with Selangor changes
By Zainal Epi, Free Malaysia Today
KUALA LUMPUR: PKR is buying time when it made the changes in the Selangor line-up, with PKR vice-president Azmin Ali taking over as the party’s new Selangor chief from incumbent, Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim.
According to party insiders, the decision to separate party matters from state administration is to allow both leaders – Khalid and Azmin – to function according to their capabilities.
“It was also a move to ‘cool down’ the resentment against Khalid’s administration among the Malay MPs and assemblymen in the state,” said a party insider.
Another insider said the spat between Khalid and Azmin dated back to 2008 when Khalid was appointed menteri besar after the general election.
At that time, there were talks that Khalid was just an interim leader as Azmin, favoured by party de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, would take over soon.
However, with problems plaguing Khalid’s administration in the early years, Azmin was kept away to allow Khalid to solve them.
Party insiders said the arrangement was that Azmin would take over the reins of the state government once Khalid had ironed out the various thorny issues.
But this did not materialise as economic and political challenges and internal dissession kept PKR in a state of constant turmoil.
Besides, its other partners in the state are also not having a smooth time. Selangor DAP is entangled with the federal authorities such as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission over various issues, while PAS has to contend with two camps in the state.
Selangor PAS chief Hasan Ali is said to be heading one camp while the other is led by Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad. The former is believed to be keen to get out of PKR dominance while the latter does not mind playing second fiddle to PKR since he is on the same side as Anwar.
