Will there be snap polls in Selangor?
Talk of a state election is heard in every corner of Selangor as it is widely believed that this is what Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim would want rather than having to step down.
Zubaidah Abu Bakar, The Rakyat Post
SULTAN Shariffuddin Idris Shah will be home earlier than scheduled; the Selangor Menteri Besar saga has affected the state’s administration and by extension His subjects and this concerns the Ruler.
The Sultan has cut short his holiday in Budapest, Hungary not without a reason. He hopes to bring closure to the current imbroglio, which is becoming more complex by the day due to rising political discontent and the intrigue of politicians.
He is not impressed.
Neither he is please that the palace has been dragged into what was initial Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) internal problem — the party had failed in its attempts to replace Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, the Menteri Besar it had chosen in 2008 and again after GE13 last year.
Also, some statements issued by politicians had given a negative perception of the royal institution, even suggesting that the Ruler himself had been playing politics over the Menteri Besar issue.
What concerns the Ruler most right now is that Abdul Khalid is running the state with four state exco members from PAS, the bare minimum required under the Constitution of Selangor.
This situation raises issues of effectiveness of state administration.
The Sultan has ordered Abdul Khalid to not make any decision or announcement with regard to his position until his return after the latter dully informed him of the unprecedented situation in Selangor, whereby the Menteri Besar is partyless and has lost the majority support of the 56-members of the State Legislative Assembly.
As the current political crisis hinges on the Ruler’s decision, his return is much awaited by many.
Not only Abdul Khalid, PKR and its allies in Pakatan Rakyat and Umno, whose 12 assemblymen are the only ones backing Khalid to remain in power, but also the people of Selangor, especially those who had given Pakatan Rakyat the mandate to rule Selangor.
The Sultan can dissolve the state legislative assembly and call for a snap poll upon Abdul Khalid’s advice.
Constitutional experts have also stated that the Ruler has the option to order Abdul Khalid to tender his resignation or call for an emergency session of the Legislative Assembly for a vote of confidence to take place.
Talk of a state election is heard in every corner of Selangor as it is widely believed that this is what Abdul Khalid would want rather than having to step down.
On the contrary, Pakatan Rakyat does not want an election due to risks of losing seats its members collectively won in GE13.
The leaders know that the people are generally angry at what is happening right now.
