Khalid’s successor picked but Anwar not saying who or when
Looi-Sue Chern, The Malaysian Insider
Although Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has insisted on holding on as Selangor Menteri Besar till his term ends, his party boss Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic) said today there will be a change “at the right time”.
The PKR de facto leader also said Khalid’s successor has been decided but declined to reveal the identity.
It is widely known that the contenders for the position are PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali.
Dr Wan Azizah is said to be the chosen one, but her husband, Anwar, refused to confirm it.
He said it will be discussed within Pakatan Rakyat (PR).
“We are not naming anyone yet. There has to be a consensus among PR members,” he said.
When pressed further he confirmed that Khalid’s successor has been decided.
“Yes. There will be a smooth transition. Even in the PR secretariat, it was tabled and it seems to be the mood.
“We will do it nicely and amicably and negotiate this so we can move on,” he told reporters at the Seberang Jaya Mosque in Penang, where he broke fast with local religious teachers.
It was reported that following pressure from its PR allies, PKR is giving Khalid the boot after Hari Raya Aidilfitri and party sources claimed Anwar has picked his wife to fill the post.
Dr Wan Azizah, who is Kajang assemblyman, will be the “stabiliser” for the PKR which has been dogged by controversies including its troubled internal party elections.
Anwar had reportedly met party leaders in Selangor last night on the matter.
Asked when the transition will take place, Anwar said coyly: “I don’t know. (It will happen) at the right time,” he said.
Anwar had recently said that the ‘Kajang Move’ – orchestrated to remove Khalid and install Anwar as menteri besar but did not see the desired outcome – was still in the cards.
The original plan was stymied after the Court of Appeal found Anwar guilty of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, making the PKR leader ineligible to contest the Kajang by-election.
Dr Wan Azizah ran instead and won the seat.
Although Anwar had declared that the Kajang Move is still on, Khalid said he will not leave until he completes his term as menteri besar.
