Will a prolonged MB crisis lead to a costly RM50m state polls?
How much longer will the people of Selangor have to wait before the menteri besar crisis is resolved? A simple question, but the answer is not forthcoming.
The initial Aug 10 “D-Day” for Pakatan Rakyat and embattled MB Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, to quote DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang, now looks set to be delayed.
PAS, as the only Pakatan party backing Khalid, was initially scheduled to meet on Aug 10 and later the same day raise its final decision with the Pakatan central leadership.
Their meeting, however, has been postponed to Aug 17 and online portal The Malaysian Insider quoted PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali as saying: “This is a very important meeting and we want everybody to be present … insya-Allah everybody would be able to attend on Aug 10 but the date is seen as premature, based on recent developments, so we postponed it to Aug 13.”
“On Aug 13, however, not many people were able to attend so we postponed it again to Aug 17,” Mustafa explained.
PAS has maintained that it would continue to support Khalid as Selangor MB until and unless he is convicted of breaching the people’s trusts, based on allegations made by PKR in its 91-page dossier, but submitted by his own officers to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for investigation.
Apart from a statement by the party’s Syura Ulama Council, a group of PAS leaders last night (Thursday, Aug 7) also organised a special prayer session at Khalid’s residence.
Khalid was summoned to attend a disciplinary hearing at 3.30pm today (Aug 8) or latest by noon tomorrow but he told reporters that he would not be present at the party headquarters, citing a prior meeting arranged with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Abdul Wahid Omar to discuss the 11th Malaysia Plan (RMK-11).
Khalid, in his letter of response, argued that the disciplinary board had only given him a 24-hour notice and added on five additional charges unrelated to the Kajang Move, as stated in the first show-cause letter.
“I have to emphasise that the five issues mentioned are matters that have been discussed by the Selangor state executive committee as part of the state’s administration.
“YB Datuk (Tan) and the disciplinary board only has jurisdiction over party issues and not anything regarding administration of the state government,” said Khalid who described the requested explanation as being “unreasonable”.
Tan
Khalid, through his political secretary Mustafa Mohd Talib, instead submitted a three-page written response to disciplinary board chairman Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong this morning.
Apart from insisting that the Aug 5 show-cause letter was defective, Khalid also reminded Tee of PKR’s “Justice for All” (Keadilan Untuk Semua) motto and urged for him to be treated accordingly.
“As a party fighting towards achieving justice for all, I should also be given a real chance and not the illusion (of a chance) to defend myself if indeed there are allegations of wrongdoings made against me.
“Unfortunately, the actions of YB Datuk (Tan) and the disciplinary board up until now are highly suspect,” said Khalid who requested for the hearing to be postponed to Aug 15.
Tan, meanwhile, was quoted by news reports as saying today that Khalid’s written response to the show-cause letter will be discussed at PKR’s central leadership council (MPP) meeting tomorrow (Aug 9).
“We will also be calling all division chiefs to the meeting. All top party leaders will also be present,” said Tan who was met by reporters at the party headquarters.
Observers noted it is unlikely for PKR to concede to Khalid’s request and that he may be “asking to be sacked” from the party.
PKR de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, meanwhile, pointed out that Khalid had served as the party’s Kajang by-election director despite the Port Klang assemblyman’s recent statement that he was not fully supportive of the “Kajang Move” to replace him with party president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
“At the right time, if compelled, I will explain, but for now the public needs to know that we have observed the process of the transition of the MB post through many meetings, counselling and advice over the last six months,” Anwar was quoted as saying by Malay Mail Online at a press conference today.
In a separate report, Malay Mail Online also quoted Wan Azizah who spoke at a dinner event last night as insisting that she only wants a chance to serve the public.
“Not because I want to be mentri besar or I want power, but I want to save the situation, how we want to melonjak (improve) and continue giving better service specifically to the people of Selangor and to Malaysia in general,” she said.
PKR is clearly having a difficult time convincing the people that the “Kajang Move” was engineered to propel Selangor as a “model state” for Pakatan Rakyat’s administration.
Khalid is, after all, just one man in the entire state administration and Wan Azizah would require just as much (if not more) assistance from the state machineries to carry out her duties.
A decision to sack Khalid from PKR or forcefully remove him from his position may, in the worst case scenario, result in state-wide snap polls which would cost approximately RM50 million, to quote Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohamad Yussuf.
This does not take into account any unfinished “business” that Khalid may have lined up for Selangor until his term ends after the 14th General Election and he would voluntarily step down.
