Anwar as MB? “Stranger things have happened”

So, is Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim really announcing that he is stepping down as Mentri Besar on Wednesday?

A report in The Star today said Abdul Khalid will be making way for PKR de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who will contest a state seat in a by-election to enable him to join the State Legislative Assembly and become Mentri Besar.

Anwar has since brushed off the report, but nothing is quite certain in politics.

“It is speculation. There has been suggestion since 2008,” he told reporters outside court today.

Anwar laughed off claims in that report that the decision for Abdul Khalid to step down was made following a meeting last night, saying he had meetings with Khalid regularly, at least twice a week.

Meanwhile a state source said that having Anwar as mentri besar is not so easy.

“I don’t know how plausible this is. Why would PKR want to jeapordise a constituency just to enable Anwar to contest?

“There are no guarantees of winning,” he said.

Abdul Khalid’s aides also told Fz.com that there was no mention of drafting a statement for his post-exco press conference on Wednesday where he is said to make the announcement.

What Fz.com has learnt however is that DAP, which had insisted on Abdul Khalid over PKR deputy president Azmin Ali as the State’s chief executive following both the 2008 and 2013 general elections where Pakatan Rakyat (PR) won and retained Selangor respectively, has bent over to accept Abdul Khalid’s removal.

What is not certain however is if Azmin would be the mentri besar. This is because DAP is strongly against his appointment and PAS has also voiced its interest in the position if it fell vacant.

Both PAS and DAP have better bargaining power this time as they each have 15 seats in the State Assembly, compared to PKR’s 14.

PAS has previously said it will accept if Abdul Khalid as the mentri besar but will consider seeking the post for itself if PKR’s puts up someone else.

However PAS insiders believe the party would not want to rock the boat by putting up a claim for the mentri besar seat.

Hence it is possible that putting up Anwar’s name is a way to placate the other two parties.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that a delegation of Azmin’s supporters had approached PAS’  Selangor chief commissioner Iskandar Abdul Samad to get support for Abdul Khalid’s removal.

Iskandar who is state executive councillor for housing, building management and squatters will be the party’s front runner for mentri besar if PAS choses to seek the position.

“However Iskandar had refused to meet  this group,” said a source, adding that he enjoys a good working relationship with Abdul Khalid.

Several leaders from PAS have also said while PKR will have to resolve its internal squabble, the option of replacing Abdul Khalid was not easy.

“Abdul Khalid wants someone better and more senior to replace him while Azmin will not bow to anyone junior to him. There are very few people in the party that fulfils this criteria.

“We can only see either Anwar or PKR president Wan Azizah fitting this scenario,” said a senior Pas leader.

“Although far-fetched, this seems to be the only plausible resolution. We will never know how this will pan out. Stranger things have happened in politics,” he quipped.

The present embattled mentri besar has been embroiled in a controversy over the removal of Azmin as a director on the Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS). It was seen as Abdul Khalid flexing his muscles and reducing Azmin’s influence in the State.

However Abdul Khalid has denied any notion and instead attributed it to PKNS executives, namely PKNS general manager Othman Omar and executive secretary Norita Mohd Sidek acting beyond their boundaries in issuing the dismissal letter to Azmin.

The two executives have since been transferred to the Mentri Besar’s office.

Othman is serving his notice and will cease to be general manager on Feb 1. PKNS chief financial officer Md. Azlan Alifiah has been appointed acting general manager.