Dishonourable of Khalid to cling on to MB post, say DAP leaders

Senior DAP leaders have voiced their concerns over Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s insistence on remaining in his post as Selangor menteri besar, saying it is inappropriate for him to stay on when he has lost the support of his own party, PKR, and its partners in Pakatan Rakyat.

The DAP leaders, who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to speak about this issue, said they were tired of Khalid's "authoritarian" leadership and his insistence on serving out his term in office, especially having known since March that he would be replaced.

"It is dishonourable of him to insist on staying despite losing the confidence of his party and the majority of the Pakatan pact," said a DAP leader with knowledge of Khalid's way of doing things.

Khalid, a former corporate captain, became MB six years ago when PKR and its allies scored a shock win over Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 2008 general election.

The DAP leader said the two-term MB's idiosyncrasies became obvious after his first term.

Efforts were made after last year’s general election to bring to Khalid's attention as well as secure his agreement on outstanding issues that needed to be resolved or improved in Malaysia's richest state, but Khalid blithely went about his own way, the leader said.

"Instead of things getting better, they became worse," said the leader.

"He is not a man of his word."

Another DAP leader said Khalid's insistence on staying despite broad opinions that he has to go was tantamount to disrespecting the views of his party.

It is also reflective of Khalid's leadership style of not taking into account the opinion of other Pakatan assemblymen as well as those from his party and from DAP and PAS.

"It is this kind of authoritarian style that makes us tired of him," said the leader.

Collectively, Pakatan’s three component parties control the majority in Selangor’s 56-seat assembly with 44 seats ― 15 each for DAP and PAS, and 14 for PKR.

Despite this, the leader said there was hardly any power-sharing among the three parties as Khalid preferred to do things unilaterally.

"A lot of times, we asked him to resolve certain issues but he refused to listen to us. How do you expect things to move?

"It all depends on his choices and preferences. That is why so many things are not moving in Selangor.

“How can one man resolve everything?"

Khalid’s dare to his allies to table a no-confidence vote against him with the real possibility of triggering a snap election in the state, showed his "real face" in wanting to hang on to power, said the leader.

"He is treating the MB’s position as his own. He has forgotten that it is the consensus of the three parties that agreed to his nomination as MB."

The leader added that they had tried to keep a lid on things and not criticise him openly until recent developments in the state showed that it was untenable for Khalid to remain.

These include his handling of issues, such as water rationing, the Selangor Islamic Religious Department's seizure of Malay and Iban Bibles as well as Khalid's push for the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex), which had upset some Pakatan leaders as it went against the pact's election manifesto to abolish tolled highways.

PKR has endorsed Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as potential MB candidate, completing its "Kajang move". This was agreed by top leaders in Pakatan's leadership council meeting last week.

However, the situation went into a tailspin when PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang openly supported Khalid remaining as menteri besar until the end of his term, a stand contrary to that of his party colleagues who attended the Pakatan meeting.

Hadi’s endorsement of Khalid, which was followed by his deputy president Mohamad Sabu's reply that Hadi was merely expressing his "personal view", might split the Ismalist party.

Influential PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat also backed Hadi's support for Khalid.

The latest development caused PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to issue a statement that the party would stick to PR's decision that Khalid had to go and Dr Wan Azizah was the top choice for the post.