Khalid’s meeting with Selangor Sultan moved to later date, sources say

(Malay Mail Online) – The highly-anticipated meeting between Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and the Selangor Sultan to discuss the former’s position as mentri besar may not take place tomorrow as expected, sources said.

According to a source from Khalid’s office, the mentri besar will likely only announce the date of his audience with the state ruler, who is scheduled to return to Malaysia today.

“It is definitely not tomorrow but the next date has yet to be confirmed,” said another source.

“The Sultan meets the mentri besar every Wednesday, so it could be then,” added the source.

Malay Mail Online reported yesterday that state ruler, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who had shortened his overseas visit, is expected to return home today and may meet with Khalid on Monday.

Khalid was previously scheduled to meet the Sultan on Wednesday, August 27, the original date of the ruler’s return.

The embattled mentri besar last had an audience with the Sultan on August 11, two days after his sacking from PKR, to explain his position. The ruler was then reportedly convinced that despite Khalid’s termination from his party, he still commanded the backing of the majority in the Selangor assembly and asked that he continued as mentri besar.

Since the, however, PKR and its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) allies have publicly announced that the majority stands with them and not with Khalid, who has been told to relinquish his post.

Of the 56 seats in the assembly, DAP and PAS have 15 seats each while PKR now has 13, excluding Khalid. The remaining 12 seats are Umno’s.

Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani, the Sultan’s private secretary, said last week in an official statement that the state ruler has received Khalid’s latest request for an audience, but noted that the Selangor mentri besar must wait until the Sultan returns.

In another statement earlier this week, Khalid said the Sultan had also asked that he refrain from making any decision on his position.

The ongoing crisis now hinges on how the Sultan deals with recent developments.

Khalid is said to be weighing a dissolution of the state assembly to resolve the crisis over his position, instead of stepping down as requested by his former party mates.

PR has settled on PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail as its sole candidate to replace incumbent Khalid, bringing an end to the months-long bickering within the three-party pact.