Shoving Khalid out the back door

By MT Webmaster Last updated Mar 1, 2014

What was that again about government injustice and selective prosecution and abusing the judicial process to get rid of your political enemies and all that other nonsense? I suppose, as Pakatan Rakyat says, these type of things do happen after all.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The Kajang by-election is going to be held on 23rd March 2014 and on the 25th and 26th a hearing is going to be held to investigate Azmin Ali’s sacking from the Board of PKNS (followed by the sacking of the GM and his assistant plus 22 other PKNS staff, all said to have been parked in PKNS by Azmin). And Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, who has been accused of being behind Azmin’s sacking, is going to be summoned to testify, as will Azmin, the ‘victim’.

There are actually many issues plaguing the Selangor State Government. There is the letter one State Assemblyman signed recommending certain cronies for sand mining contracts. There is the allegation by some DAP lawyers that certain crony lawyers are monopolising all the legal work from the State Government (and at very high fees on top of that) while they (the DAP lawyers) are not getting a cut of the action. There is the allegation by disgruntled ‘staunch’ party supporters that the position of councillors in the local councils is being used to reward certain supporters of certain leaders. The list is endless.

Anyway, what appears to be of priority is Azmin’s sacking from the PKNS Board — and two days after the Kajang by-election the Menteri Besar is going to be summoned to appear before a ‘tribunal’ to answer to the allegation of his ‘misconduct’ in ‘sacking’ Azmin.

I suppose the investigation will either reveal that the GM actually issued Azmin’s sacking letter at the behest of Azmin himself (which is why the GM was sacked) or that he did so at Khalid’s behest (which means Khalid is guilty of misconduct). And if it is found that Khalid is the culprit while Azmin is the victim, then Khalid can be asked to resign on grounds of misconduct.

That is the contingency plan. Pakatan Rakyat knows that Khalid is not going to voluntarily resign on 24th March 2014. And if he does not resign on 24th March, then, the next day, on 25th March, he will be put on trial. And he cannot refuse to attend trial. And henceforth Khalid can be removed from office once a guilty verdict is passed against him.

Anwar now realises that Khalid will not voluntarily go unless he is pushed out. Khalid, being of Bugis descent, is one stubborn bloke (Anwar himself said that Khalid is stubborn), as most Bugis like me are (especially Bugis with Welsh blood, which is a ‘bad’ combination). The alternative, therefore, would be to get the Bugis Sultan of Selangor to oust Khalid.

However, Bugis being Bugis, they will always stick together. Hence to expect the Bugis Sultan of Selangor to oust his Bugis Menteri Besar in favour of a Mamak from Penang is expecting too much. If this is what you think is going to happen then you know nothing about the nature of the Bugis.

Anwar told his people he has ‘links’ with the Palace — so not to worry. And this link will help him reach the ears of His Highness the Sultan — so Khalid can be easily removed. However, after the recent titah by the Sultan (READ HERE), Anwar realises that this link has just been neutralised so he cannot use his so-called ‘Palace connection’ to get rid of Khalid.

Hence Khalid must be found guilty of a crime and two days after the Kajang by-election they are going to do just this.

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(The Star) – Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Azmin Ali will be called to testify before the state’s Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency over the removal of the Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman from the board of the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS).

The hearing will be held on March 25 and March 26, Selcat chairman Hannah Yeoh told a press conference here yesterday.

The inquiry will be two days after the Kajang by-election, which will be contested by PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in what is believed to be a bid to propel him into the Mentri Besar’s office, replacing Khalid.

Sources said Khalid may resign should Anwar win the polls and the hearing would serve the purpose of reinstating Azmin, who is PKR deputy president, on the PKNS board.

Azmin was removed on December 4th last year with the Mentri Besar’s office saying later that then general manager Othman Omar was behind the sacking.

Following Azmin’s removal, 22 contract staff of PKNS Holdings were dismissed. Sources alleged that they had found their way into the company through Azmin’s recommendations.

Yeoh said there were many versions to Azmin’s case.

“So, we would look at his position on the board and what the actual story is,” she said, adding that Azmin, who is a Selcat member, would be testifying as a witness.

Yeoh said the termination of the 22 contract staff of PKNS Holdings and other issues relevant to PKNS would also be brought up at the hearing.