Impractical for party-less MB to run Selangor, says law lecturer
V. Anbalagan, The Malaysian Insider
The writing on the wall is clear that Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim who was sacked from PKR can no longer remain as Selangor menteri besar, says an academic specialising in Malaysian law.
University of Malaya law lecturer Professor Gurdial Singh Nijar said the sacking showed the party lost confidence in Khalid as chief executive of the government.
He said the constitution said the sultan appointed a menteri besar who in his judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority in the state legislature.
But, many practices in the Malaysian parliamentary democracy are modelled after the Westminster system.
“In reality, the menteri besar is appointed from the party or coalition that has the majority seats in the house,” he explained to The Malaysian Insider.
Nijar also said Khalid’s position as menteri besar was untenable as PKR, which is in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition, withdrew their support by sacking him from the party.
He said it was the agreement among PR coalition members (PKR, PAS and DAP) that the Selangor MB came from PKR.
“This is the coalition that has nominated him to be MB. With his sacking by PKR, by extension one could take it that PR has also lost confidence in Khalid,” he said.
Nijar (pic) also said the Malaysian prime minister always came from Umno, the dominant party in the Barisan Nasional (BN).
“A prime minister cannot remain in office once his party sacks or withdraws their support for him,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
He said the late Selangor menteri besar Datuk Harun Idris resigned from office in 1976 the moment he lost the confidence of Umno.
Nijar said Khalid now had no choice but to tender his resignation together with his executive council.
“It is untenable for Khalid to remain as MB as an independent when his executive council members are from the majority coalition,” he said, adding that it would be extremely difficult the run the state administration.
Nijar said Khalid could also advise the sultan to dissolve the assembly to hold a snap polls, but the ruler had the discretion to accede to such request.
“However, there must be a basis for the ruler to acknowledge that Khalid has lost support of the majority and he could also appoint another candidate as MB to run the government.”
