Defiant Khalid to Pakatan: Prove majority support in Selangor assembly
Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, Malay Mail Online
Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim today refused to acknowledge PKR and DAP’s claims of securing majority support to replace him, saying they needed to substantiate this with a motion of no-confidence against him.
The Selangor mentri besar said he is “aware” of the PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s announcement today, but said this meant nothing until it went through its proper process in the state assembly.
“This claim needs to be translated through a process of a vote of no confidence in the Selangor legislative state assembly.
“Until this process takes place, the Selangor government’s administration will carry on as usual,” Khalid said in statement posted on his official Facebook page.
Two PAS state assemblymen today publicly expressed support for PKR’s Dr Wan Azizah to become Selangor mentri besar, effectively removing Khalid’s claim of commanding majority support.
The two are Hulu Klang and Morib state assemblymen Saari Sungip and Hasnul Baharuddin.
“They have stated their stand via statutory declarations signed by all 30 state reps whom have appeared here today to openly show their support,” Dr Wan Azizah told a packed press conference here.
Constitutional law experts previously told Malay Mail Online that lawmakers could use external means such as statutory declarations and official letters to indicate their support outside of the state assembly, citing the 2009 Perak crisis.
But they also warned that such a method was fraught with the risk of legal challenge.
Khalid on Monday said the Selangor Sultan had consented to him remaining as mentri besar despite his sacking from PKR, after convincing the ruler that he still enjoyed the backing of most Selangor lawmakers.
But with today’s development, Pakatan Rakyat now has 30 of the state’s 56 assemblymen backing the PKR president to replace Khalid.
PAS previously held out on declaring its position and is due to make its decision on August 17.
