Anwar defends PKR decision to submit one name for Selangor MB

PKR today stood by its decision to submit only one name as the Selangor menteri besar candidate, saying that it would have sent in another name if the Sultan had rejected its first candidate.

Party de facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, said that it was the prerogative of the party which commanded the majority to hand in as many names as it wished.

"If we give one and it is rejected, we will give another name to replace it. So what is the problem," he replied to Tanjung Karang MP Datuk Seri Noh Omar, who asked him why PKR did not submit more than one candidate as requested by the Sultan.

Noh, who is also Selangor Umno chief, had asked the Permatang Pauh MP to explain why PKR did not do this in Selangor but had sent more than one name to the Sultan of Perak when it took over the state in 2008.

"So next time, Umno will also have to give three names to the Agong," said Anwar, referring to the prime minister's position, as other Pakatan Rakyat MPs cheered.

Both PKR and DAP had submitted only the name of PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to the Sultan for the menteri besar's post on the grounds that she alone had the support of 30 of the 56 Selangor assemblymen.

This was despite reprimands from the palace, which had also turned down requests by Dr Wan Azizah to seek an audience.

PKR deputy president Mohamad Azmin Ali was later appointed as the new Selangor MB. The party said it was disappointed with the palace over the matter, adding that it had tainted the constitutional monarchy system and was not in line with the state constitution and the principle of parliamentary democracy.

Anwar, in debating the 2015 Budget earlier, said that the Sultan and the King's special position is bound by the spirit of the Federal Constitution, which means that the monarchy was a neutral institution which did not get involved in political affairs.

"For the record, I have talked about feudalism in the 51st Umno General Assembly where I said Datuk Onn Jaafar (Umno founder) had previously said that the independence concept of our country does not mean bringing feudalism back to life.

"It has to be clear that criticising feudalism and urging to change the way we think is not the same as calling for the abolishment of the monarchy system," he added.

Meanwhile, Noh Omar had also asked Anwar to explain claims by Khalid's aide Faekah Husin, who alleged that he had filed claims worth RM15 million in his role as Selangor economic advisor despite a salary of RM1.

"I don't take any travel allowance. The Selangor menteri besar will reveal all expenses of the State Economic Office, which is not more than RM15,000 a year," Anwar replied. – October 13, 2014.

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