A few things came to a head yesterday in the messy internal fight for control of the Selangor state government, between embattled Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and the party that kicked him out more than a week ago, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and its PR coalition partners.
After weeks of putting the rest of its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partners on the hook, Islamist party PAS finally convened a meeting yesterday to decide on its official opinion on the Selangor MB issue. The result? Pretty much what you’d expect: talk has been rife that PAS would not back out of the PR coalition, but still wanted to be seen as not fully supporting Wan Azizah, a woman, to head the Selangor state government.
So the official stand is that PAS is still in PR; its four excos will stay on in the Khalid administration to carry out their duties as PR members; and PAS does not cover the post of MB for itself. Lastly, PAS supports the candidacy of Wan Azizah for MB … and also PKR deputy president Azmin Ali for MB. Because PAS does not like simple things.
Forunately for all involved, later yesterday evening Azmin, who many see to be the very first person in the PR coalition to want Khalid out of the MB post, and had made soft attempts to oust him before, conceded the candidacy for Selangor’s top job, wanting to stand by his party’s decision. He’s probably pretty appreciative of his PAS friends now, though.
PAS’s decision also comes as a huge relief to PKR and DAP, who despite their sizable support bases, need PAS’s appeal to the more grassroots Malay demographic … and and PAS’s state assembly seats in Selangor and Penang to keep PR squarely in power. Also, PAS has been able to hold Kelantan under its control pretty much by itself for more than 20 years.
Lastly, what does this mean for Tan Sri Khalid? His continued service as Menteri Besar was consented to by Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah of Selangor as being dependent on his ability to command majority support in the Selangor state assembly, and maintaining a state cabinet of cooperative excos.
Now an independent assemblyman, Khalid can no longer count on the support of 43 of his 56 state assemblymen, all of whom are from PR. He might get some sort of endorsement from the 12 Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen, but that would not be likely now that PAS has cast its lot squarely with PR again.
As Khalid fired his six PKR and DAP excos for not supporting him in his continued capacity as MB, now that PAS has officially taken the same stand, he’ll consistently have egg on his face for as long as he keeps on his remaining four PAS excos. Keeping them on would be awkward at best, and firing them would disqualify him from being MB, unless he can get four or more supportive BN assemblymen willing to form his new administration. That would be an amazing sight to see: Malaysia’s most prosperous state, democratically won in a general election by the federal opposition, now administered by a former member of PKR, and possibly a cabinet made up of BN state assemblymen.
But for most Selangorians, that’s what we call a Sunday.
See Also:
Despite Wan Azizah endorsement, Khalid Ibrahim isn’t budging from Selangor MB post
Who does PAS support for Selangor MB? We won’t know until August 13 … no, make that August 17
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
Six fired Selangor excos say sacking was illegal, are going to work as usual
Selangor MB crisis: PAS excos will quit if Khalid appoints UMNO assemblymen to cabinet
Selangor MB Crisis: Fired Pakatan excos given two weeks to clear out their offices
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