Selangor MB crisis: D-Day for Khalid, Pakatan as PAS decides

(The Star) – All eyes are on the PAS central committee meeting here Sunday as the party top leadership decides its official stand on Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as the Selangor mentri besar, which has put its Pakatan Rakyat partners in a bind.

PAS, which has been a stumbling block for PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to succeed Khalid as mentri besar, has all this while backed the latter to remain in the office, at least until the end of his term.

If PAS continues to stand its ground, it will have an implication on Pakatan Rakyat as a whole with DAP previously warning that the loose coalition would crumble if the Islamist party supported Khalid.

Discussions between PKR and PAS had also hit brick wall with PAS feeling uncomfortable with PKR’s choice of candidate, insisting that the party provide an alternative candidate besides Dr Wan Azizah.

However, PKR has argued that the party possessed the prerogative to name the new MB based on the consensus reached by the coalition when they won the state after the 13th General Election.

The whole tussle for the MB’s post has also seen two Selangor PAS assemblymen, Hulu Klang’s Saari Sungib and Morib’s Hasnul Baharudin break ranks by declaring their support for Wan Azizah, ahead of the pow-wow, Sunday.

Earlier, PAS members gathered in front of the party headquarters to show support for their president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, who was the first to declare support for Khalid, saying that what was the grassroots wanted.

Shouts of Allahuakbar (God is great) were heard as PAS leaders walked into the PAS headquarters.

Khalid was sacked by PKR on Aug 9 for his refusal to step aside and give way to Dr Wan Azizah.

He, however, refused to back down and received the palace consent to remain in the office and subsequently terminated his PKR and DAP state executive councillors, marking the collapse of Pakatan Rakyat state government.