KUALA LUMPRU: PKR is buying time when it made the changes in the Selangor line-up, with PKR vice-president Azmin Ali taking over as the party's new Selangor chief from incumbent, Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim.
According to party insiders, the decision to separate party matters from state administration is to allow both leaders – Khalid and Azmin – to function according to their capabilities.
“It was also a move to ‘cool down' the resentment against Khalid’s administration among the Malay MPs and assemblymen in the state,” said a party insider.
Another insider said the spat between Khalid and Azmin dated back to 2008 when Khalid was appointed menteri besar after the general election.
At that time, there were talks that Khalid was just an interim leader as Azmin, favoured by party de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, would take over soon.
However, with problems plaguing Khalid’s administration in the early years, Azmin was kept away to allow Khalid to solve them.
Party insiders said the arrangement was that Azmin would take over the reins of the state government once Khalid had ironed out the various thorny issues.
But this did not materialise as economic and political challenges and internal dissession kept PKR in a state of constant turmoil.
Besides, its other partners in the state are also not having a smooth time. Selangor DAP is entangled with the federal authorities such as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission over various issues, while PAS has to contend with two camps in the state.
Selangor PAS chief Hasan Ali is said to be heading one camp while the other is led by Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad. The former is believed to be keen to get out of PKR dominance while the latter does not mind playing second fiddle to PKR since he is on the same side as Anwar.
Gloomy background
Given such a gloomy background, the PKR leadership seems to be contented with just letting Khalid overcome these challenges before handing the state with a “clean slate” to Azmin.
However, with the next general election looming, PKR MPs and assemblymen are rushing against time to deliver their promises to their constituents.
Party supporters are in need of projects to survive after having financially supported the elected representatives and more money is needed for the coming polls.
Fellow politicians are in a fix as to how to finance the next electoral battle since there are no more funds flowing in.
Khalid, it seems, is running the state in a business-like manner which does not benefit party supporters in anyway and this is not good politically.
On the other hand, Azmin, a political strategist and politician by nature, knows how to take care of the supporters and voters but since he is not helming the state, he is handicapped as far as filling up the supporters' cofffers is concerned.
Party insiders described the decision to appoint Azmin as Selangor PKR chief as one of buying time until the next general election since the party is not in good shape.
In fact, PKR is in a bad shape all over the country made worse by Anwar's sodomy trial, said one party insider.
“Whatever the outcome of the (sodomy) case, PKR is not strong to face the next general election
“There are already talks that two or three more PKR assemblymen might jump ship and remain independent in the coming months,” he said.
“When this happens, PKR may just slide into oblivion in Pakatan Rakyat while PAS and DAP take on the leading role in the state.
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