The six PKR and DAP Selangor executive councillors fired by Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said last night that their termination was illegal, and so will carry out their duties as usual today.
At a press conference held at PKR headquarters, they said their surprise dismissal by the MB was not legitimate as Khalid had not received the consent of the Sultan of Selangor before doing so.
“We do not recognise the sackings. He sent us the letter dismissing us today, saying that the Sultan consented to our sackings, but I believe everyone, including our media friends, saw that Khalid did not leave his office from morning until his 6pm press conference,” said DAP’s Datuk Teng Chang Khim, as reported by The Malaysian Insider.
Teng added that since Khalid, who was expelled from PKR last Saturday, is effectively an independent assemblyman, he had no legitimacy to dismiss any Pakatan Rakyat (PR) member from the Selangor government.
“The Selangor government is held by PR. As a sacked member of PKR, he has no legitimacy to sack a PR member,” said Teng, who is in charge of Local Government, Research and Development.
“This has never happened in any democracy in the world, and he has now set a new record.”
PKR’s Elizabeth Wong, who was also at the press conference, called on four PAS councillors still in Khalid’s executive council not to attend today’s exco meeting, to show teir solidarity with their PR brethren.
Khalid was expelled from PKR on Saturday for defying the party’s official endorsement of president Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as his replacement for the Menteri Besar post and for refusing to step down.
On Monday, Khalid received the consent of Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah to continue in his capacity as Menteri Besar for the immediate future, as long as he can command majority support from the Selangor state assembly.
PAS, the only holdout partner in the PR coalition on the Menteri Besar issue, asked de facto PR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to put forth an alternate candidate for MB, other than Anwar’s wife Wan Azizah. PAS’s top leaders are scheduled to meet on August 17 to decide on the party’s official stand on who it endorses for the post.
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
Selangor palace doesn’t want to meet PKR to talk about MB Khalid’s expulsion
PKR-PAS discussions on Selangor MB hits dead end
MB Khalid fires all PKR and DAP Excos; Pakatan Rakyat loses control of Selangor
Photo: The Malaysian Insider
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