Abdul Khalid Says Sultan Has Ordered Him Not To Make Any Decisions, Announcements Until Aug 27

SHAH ALAM, Aug 15 (Bernama) -- Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said today that the Sultan of Selangor had ordered him not to make any decision or announcements concerning the state's menteri besar post until the Sultan returns to the country on Aug 27.

Abdul Khalid said he had communicated to the Sultan the latest political developments in Selangor including the sentiments among the state assemblymen.

"When I had an audience to brief him (on the MB crisis in Selangor) on Monday (Aug 11), the sultan had said he was satisfied that I had the majority support in the State Assembly.

"He has now instructed that I do not make any decision or announcement regarding the menteri besar's post until he returns on Aug 27, after which I will have an audience with him again," he said in a statement today.

As such, Abdul Khalid advised the parties which claim that he had misled the sultan on his majority support to write directly to the sultan to get further clarification.

Yesterday, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail announced that she had the support of 30 Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen including herself and two PAS state assemblymen, Saari Sungib (Hulu Klang) and Hasnul Baharuddin (Morib) in the 56-seat state assembly to take over the menteri besar's post.

Dr Wan Azizah said she had written to Sultan of Selangor to get his views if there was a need for the Speaker to call for a state assembly meeting for the change in menteri besar.

Dr Wan Azizah, who is also the state assemblyman for Kajang, also advised Abdul Khalid to respect the law and democratic principles by immediately resigning because he had lost majority support.

Yesterday, in his immediate reaction to her claim, Abdul Khalid said Wan Azizah's claims should be translated through the legal process at the state assembly.

Meanwhile, Selangor PAS secretary Mohd Khairuddin Othman said Selangor PAS was leaving to the party's top leadership to deal with the two renegade assemblymen, Saari Sungib (Hulu Kelang) and Hasnul Baharuddin, who had ignored the 24 hours ultimatum given by Selangor PAS to them yesterday to retract their support for Dr Wan Azizah to be the new MB.

"We (the 13 other PAS assemblymen in Selangor) have sought a meeting with the PAS president (Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang) and PAS secretary-general (Datuk Mustafa Ali), and will submit our report (on the two breaking ranks).

"We will leave it to the party's top leadership to deal with the two accordingly," he said in a statement here.

He further said that Selangor PAS had asked local leaders to meet the duo yesterday to give them a chance to "repent" but the effort failed.