‘No reason to quit my post’

(The Star) – A defiant Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim says the majority of the state assembly has confidence in him so he will not resign from his post as Selangor mentri besar.

“I was appointed based on legal provisions under state laws and still command the confidence of the majority in the state assembly. Therefore, there is no reason for me to resign from my post at this time,” he said in a written statement.

He was responding to a show-cause letter issued to him by the PKR disciplinary committee on Tuesday that gave him till tomorrow to explain why he had defied orders from the party leadership to step down.

In his response, which was posted on the state government website, Khalid also said the Kajang Move involving his removal was unfair because its details were never made clear to him from the start.

“I never agreed to the move which involved the resignation of the then assemblyman, Lee Chin Cheh, without a valid reason. It is clear that such an action has tainted the principles of democracy and is a form of betrayal to the Kajang voters,” he said.

He was also disappointed that no disciplinary action was taken against Lee, who was even allowed to contest in ongoing party elections.

In his three-page response, Khalid said the Kajang Move was forced upon him without consideration for his executive responsibilities to the people of Selangor.

“The party was well aware that I would only step aside once all the Pakatan Rakyat component parties were agreeable to it and after obtaining the consent of the Sultan.

“However, the party made the premature decision to force my resignation which cannot be easily executed,” he said.

Khalid, who is also Port Klang assemblyman, said the move reflected badly on the party’s ability to govern the state.

The Kajang Move, initiated in January, was aimed at replacing Khalid by forcing a by-election in Kajang, a town in the eastern part of Selangor. The party initially claimed that Khalid had failed to consult it on several important issues in the state.

PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was supposed to contest the seat with a view to becoming the next mentri besar.

However, Anwar’s subsequent sodomy convictions by the Court of Appeal thwarted the plan. His wife and PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was fielded as a replacement. She won the by-election and on July 21 was endorsed by the PKR leadership to take over from Khalid but he insisted on completing his second term in office.

Several leaders in PAS, an ally of PKR, have backed Khalid and want him to remain as mentri besar which has prompted PKR to expose Khalid’s alleged failings in a 91-page dossier to all its allies.

Khalid reiterated his willingness to answer all the accusations thrown at him by the party leadership.