PAS exco says met Khalid to discuss running Selangor without PKR, DAP
(Malay Mail Online) – PAS met beleaguered Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim today to discuss the possibility of administering the state without PKR and DAP state executive councillors, Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi has revealed.
The PAS state executive councillor said that he was unaware if his DAP and PKR colleagues would resign as challenged to do so by Khalid, but stressed that the Islamist party’s representatives would stay on and keep working with the under-fire Selangor mentri besar.
The meeting comes even as DAP today demanded that the Islamist party declare if its state representatives continue to support Khalid as he has asserted, saying that failure to do so would lead to a breakup of the Pakatan Rakyat pact.
“I met the MB for two to three minutes, just a discussion to see how we can work to run Selangor with the excos who are not stepping down,” he told reporters here at the state secretariat lobby.
“PAS we have decided we are not stepping down,” the Sijangkang state lawmaker added, saying that the weekly state executive council meeting will take place as scheduled tomorrow.
Khalid yesterday told PKR and DAP state executive councillors to resign if they no longer support him as Selangor mentri besar, saying his administration can operate with just four such officials.
The Selangor mentri besar said yesterday Article 53 (2)B of the state constitution only required him to have no fewer than four executive councillors in order to run the state government.
He then insisted he has the necessary number as four PAS state executive councillors have already pledged to stay on to carry out their duties under his leadership.
Khalid yesterday said he will interview the remaining PKR and DAP excos to determine their affiliation, but a Pakatan Rakyat source said today that representatives from the two parties will not see the Selangor mentri besar other than for “official meetings”.
PKR’s disciplinary committee expelled Khalid last week mainly for his open defiance of the party’s decision that he must step down to make way for PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Khalid’s sacking leaves the coalition in a precarious state and will add to worries that snap polls may have to be called to ward off a stalemate.
Without Khalid, PKR’s share of the 56-seat Selangor state assembly drops to 13 from 14 while allies DAP and PAS have 15 seats each. Umno, the opposition in the state, holds 12.
