GE13: Khalid takes up task of defending Selangor, unfazed by talk of being replaced
(The Star) – It was an important press conference by the ruling party in Selangor but Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim left it to a PAS division leader to make the big announcement that the Mentri Besar will be the state Pakatan Rakyat election director.
Khalid sat with state executive councillors Theresa Kok and Dr Halimah Ali against a backdrop of a large poster that showed him together with Selangor PKR chief Azmin Ali, state PAS commissioner Dr Rani Osman and Kok, who is the state DAP chairman.
After Kelana Jaya PAS chief Izham Hashim announced his name, Khalid took over from the emcee and told the media people that his job is to ascertain that the Selangor Government does not fall back into the hands of the Barisan Nasional.
Unfazed by speculations that Azmin might replace him as mentri besar if the Pakatan is voted in again, he went on to say he would unveil Pakatan’s state-level manifesto at Dataran Kemerdekaan here tomorrow.
The names of Pakatan candidates in Selangor will also be announced at that event, which is expected to be at around 9pm.
Khalid said the manifesto would, among others, explain the need to restructure the state’s water industry.
“The people need to know why it is important for the (water) restructuring to take place,” he said, referring to the unfinished stand-off between the state and federal governments over the water issue in Selangor.
Other than that, he said, the manifesto would include a state government pledge to set aside RM100mil for the Selangor Housing Board to build affordable homes in the state and RM50mil for the development of women and for youths in business.
“The manifesto consists of four elements, touching on the economy, well-being, harmony and ties and state-people relations.
“The manifesto will also touch on the state government’s track record since 2008,” said Khalid.
On the PKR dispute with Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) over the use of the PSM logo in the elections, Khalid said the Pakatan had agreed that only the party symbols of the PKR, DAP and PAS would be used by the opposition front.
“The use of any other logo could confuse the people,” he said.
