Anwar’s unfinished business with the Palace

By MT Webmaster Last updated Aug 22, 2014

After 30 years of struggle since the 1980s, have the Republicans finally won the day? We will soon find out. If Anwar succeeds and HRH backs down, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad would be very proud of Anwar. Anwar managed to do what Mahathir could not.

THE CORRRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Here’s the thing, the Sultan of Selangor only returns from holidays next week. But why wait for the sultan to decide his fate? Why hide with palace protocol?

Why should Selangor suffer a week or two more with a menteri besar in name but without any support? Should the civil servants follow his directives because he still holds office until the Sultan lets him go? (The Malaysian Insider Commentary)

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PAS was reluctant to support Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the sole candidate for the Selangor menteri besar post as it did not want to go against the Selangor palace which was not keen on the PKR president, said state exco member Sallehen Mukhyi.

“We did not agree to Wan Azizah not because she is a woman, but because we found out that the palace did not agree to her appointment,” said Sallehen, who is in charge of Islamic affairs. Sallehen said this was why PAS yesterday also nominated PKR deputy president Azmin Ali for the position. (The Malaysian Insider)

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Despite his track record administering Selangor, PKR did not want to field Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim in the last general election, a PAS lawmaker told a forum last night.

Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad said PAS had not agreed as it feared the impact the decision would have on the polls outcome.

“Prior to the 13th general election, PKR had informed PAS that it did not want Khalid to contest any state assembly seats,” Khalid Samad told the forum last night.

“However, PAS leaders disagreed with PKR because without Khalid, the people of Selangor would start speculating over who would become the state menteri besar. It might even cause Pakatan Rakyat to lose Malaysia’s wealthiest state because the voters would be worried that a PAS or DAP candidate might lead Selangor.”

Khalid Samad said based on this line of reasoning, PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim agreed to field Abdul Khalid as a state assembly candidate. (The Malaysian Insider)

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The attacks on His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor has begun. Malaysiakini ran a story running down the Sultan, a so-called exposé regarding the Sultan’s son, my nephew.

Hence, since they have decided to resort to personal attacks on members of my family, then I suppose there is nothing to stop me from playing by the same ground rules by taking this whole thing personal as well.

HRH has issued an official statement (READ THE LETTER BELOW) asking Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim to wait till he returns before doing anything — such as resign from his post.

The Malaysian Insider, however, said:

Here’s the thing, the Sultan of Selangor only returns from holidays next week. But why wait for the sultan to decide his fate? Why hide with palace protocol?

The Malaysian Insider wants Khalid to ignore the Sultan and resign immediately. “Why should Selangor suffer a week or two more with a menteri besar in name but without any support?” asked The Malaysian Insider.

In other words, The Malaysian Insider is of the opinion that Khalid should go now and leave Selangor without a menteri besar. It is better that Selangor has no menteri besar than a menteri besar that has lost majority support.

Hmmm…I am not too sure whether Selangor would be better off with no menteri besar. Who will make the executive decisions? Or shall we just leave it to the four PAS Exco members to run the state and make all the executive decisions?

Or will the various heads of the government departments and agencies make their own decisions and run Selangor as they see fit?

I can just imagine the religious departments like MAIS and JAIS be given a free hand to decide whatever they want to do. With so much power in their hands can they then rule that all temples and churches should be closed down due to various ‘offenses’, such as ‘confusing’ Muslims?

The second news item by The Malaysian Insider, quoting one of the PAS Exco members, is most interesting indeed. He said that PAS nominated two names yesterday because they were aware that HRH would not agree to Dr Wan Azizah as the new menteri besar.

Actually, DAP and PKR, too, are aware of this. That is why they did not want two names in case, if you give HRH the choice of two names, HRH might choose Azmin Ali instead of Dr Wan Azizah.

Hence, to avoid that possibility, DAP and PKR wanted only one name so that HRH would have no choice in the matter and consent to Dr Wan Azizah. DAP and PKR felt if HRH was not given any choice then he would be forced to agree to Dr Wan Azizah.

It is either Dr Wan Azizah or no one else. Khalid cannot resign and leave Selangor with no chief executive. Since this is not possible then, like it or not, HRH would be forced to agree to Dr Wan Azizah.

It is actually a very clever blackmail if you ask me. If HRH becomes ‘difficult’ then he would be blamed for the mess in Selangor that will follow Khalid’s resignation and leaving the post of menteri besar unfilled.

HRH has to be very careful here. If HRH walks into this trap he will have to face the demonstrations in front of the palace that are being planned even as you read this.

Yes, they are anticipating the HRH not consenting to Dr Wan Azizah and are planning to take this matter to the streets to pressure HRH to back down. A lot of money is going to be spent to finance these anti-Sultan demonstrations.

The third news item from The Malaysian Insider finally reveals why the Kajang Move was planned.

According to Anwar loyalist Khalid Samad, Anwar wanted to get rid of Khalid Ibrahim before the last general election. But PAS did not agree to this because they were worried that, without Khalid Ibrahim, Pakatan Rakyat might lose the state.

Hence they retained Khalid Ibrahim so that the voters would continue to vote for Pakatan Rakyat and then launched the move to get rid of him after the general election.

By Khalid Samad’s own admission, they took the voters for a ride. They made it appear like Khalid Ibrahim was going to serve as menteri besar for a second term and as soon as Pakatan Rakyat won back Selangor they launched the move to get rid of him.

Hence, as Khalid Samad admitted, it was PAS that was behind this deception. If left to Anwar, he would have kicked Khalid Ibrahim out BEFORE the May 2013 general election.

It is heart warming to know that PAS is now a more mature political party. Anwar sometimes does not think properly. Anwar wanted Khalid dropped before the election, which may have affected the election results. PAS, however, very cleverly strategised that they retain Khalid and kick him out only after they win the election.

Anyway, the matter is now in the hands of HRH the Sultan of Selangor. And with the anti-palace demonstrations being planned in the event HRH does not consent to Dr Wan Azizah, HRH may be forced to reluctantly agree to Dr Wan Azizah or else face turmoil in Selangor.

HRH had better be warned. Anwar has unfinished business with the palace, a power struggle that started in the 1980s. The 27th August will decide whether the politicians or the monarchy calls the shots in Malaysia. And the Selangor MB Crisis will be the yardstick on whether the palace any longer has the say in who becomes the menteri besar.

Raja Petra Kamarudin RPK