The palace of the Sultan of Selangor has rejected Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) last-minute request for a royal audience to explain the party’s decision to expel Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim last Saturday, probably due to the awkward way PKR made the request.
According to a report by The Malay Mail Online‘s Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, the PKR letter to the palace asking for the royal audience was composed by Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim – even though the proposed meeting was meant to take place between Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Anwar’s wife, PKR president and the party’s new candidate for MB, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Sources close to the matter said the letter, which was submitted to the palace yesterday, was also rejected yesterday morning.
“The request, written by Anwar was for Wan Azizah to have an audience with His Royal Highness.
“Suffice it to say there were questions as to why Wan Azizah did not write the official letter herself… it did not look good, especially for someone who has been tipped to be Khalid’s replacement,” a PKR source said.
Another source told The Malay Mail Online that the party should have explained the Menteri Besar situation before it decided to sack Khalid.
PKR decided to expel Khalid from its ranks for defying the party’s public endorsement of Wan Azizah for the MB post, replacing Khalid.
Anwar is expected to receive the official rejection letter from the palace later today.
Yesterday, Khalid met with the Sultan of Selangor to discuss his future in the MB post.
Following the meeting, Khalid announced that despite his expulsion from PKR, Sultan Sharafuddin consented to him carrying on in his capacity as Menteri Besar, at least for the time being, and as long as he could still command majority support from the state legislative assembly.
Both PKR and DAP then contested Khalid’s claim to command majority support, as the two parties control 28 out of Selangor’s 56 legislative seats, and are dead set on seeing Wan Azizah installed as Khalid’s replacement.
UMNO, ironically, has pledged the support of its 12 state assemblymen for Khalid remaining in office. Much now hinges on PAS, which holds 15 state seats and will decide on its official stand on the MB crisis after its August 17 meeting.
The PAS meeting is also seen as a point of no return for the entire Pakatan Rakyat coalition, as PAS’s support for Khalid could upend the federal opposition irrepairably.
See Also:
Uh, surprise?: PKR nominates Wan Azizah for Selangor MB post
Despite Wan Azizah endorsement, Khalid Ibrahim isn’t budging from Selangor MB post
Anwar: If my wife becomes Selangor MB, I’ll quit as state economic adviser
Who does PAS support for Selangor MB? We won’t know until August 13 … no, make that August 17
After being expelled from PKR, might Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim join PAS?
BREAKING: Sultan of Selangor consents to Khalid Ibrahim continuing as Menteri Besar
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