‘No way Azmin will be Selangor MB’

Azmin Ali's lack of support from DAP and PAS as well as PKR president Dr Wan Azizah means that his chance of replacing Khalid Ibrahim as Selangor MB is virtually nil.

PETALING JAYA: It is unlikely that the current Selangor menteri besar Khalid Ibrahim will be replaced any time soon as according to a PKR party source, there is no potential candidate to fill the hot seat.

“Despite the party top leadership and PKR’s members being upset with Khalid Ibrahim’s ‘corporate style’ of administration, he would not be replaced at least until the next general election,” the source told FMT.

On Monday, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim dismissed a claim in a Malay daily that PKR deputy president Azmin Ali would replace Khalid as the menteri besar of Selangor as PKR members were unhappy with the latter’s style of administration.

Anwar had also recently criticised Khalid for failing to effectively grow the state’s revenue.

Speaking to FMT, the party insider claimed that there were certain issues that had resulted in Khalid keeping his position as the Selangor MB.

According to him, there was no back-up plan or potential PKR candidates picked to replace Khalid before the 13th general election.

“PKR was so confident of winning the federal government in the 13th general election. Thus, most of the party top leaders including Azmin and Khalid were eyeing federal ministerial posts,” he said.

In the 13th general election, Khalid won the Bandar Tun Razak parliament constituency and also captured the Port Klang state assembly seat while Azmin defended his Gombak parliament constituency and the Bukit Antarabangsa state seat.

“But, when BN recaptured the federal government, Azmin turned his attention to the Selangor menteri besar post,” he said.

“However, he failed in his bid to net the menteri besar post after he was sidelined by the Pakatan component parties DAP and PAS,” the source said, adding that “despite Azmin’s popularity in PKR, he has no support from DAP and PAS.”

“Azmin’s lack of DAP and PAS support had given Khalid the edge, leading to his re-appointment as the menteri besar in May,” he said.

The president’s letter

The source was also adamant that Khalid would hang on to his menteri besar post since DAP and PAS were always against Azmin.

“Apart from Pakatan component parties, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is another reason why Khalid would not be replaced by Azmin,” said the source.

According to him, after Pakatan won two-thirds majority in Selangor, Wan Azizah was the catalyst to the appointment of Khalid as the menteri besar for the second term.

It was reported that Wan Azizah had issued a letter supporting Khalid as the menteri besar, irking Azmin.

Following this Azmin had openly accused PKR leaders of nepotism, targetting Anwar and his wife Wan Azizah.

Since then, Wan Azizah had left out Azmin from all of her events and was also very firm on her stand that Azmin would not replace Khalid.

The source also said that besides Azmin, there were also several other PKR assemblymen vying for the menteri besar’s post.

“But, no one is on par with Khalid in terms of experience and popularity,” he added.

Meanwhile, the source also confirmed that the party top leadership would pay more attention to the party elections than the Selangor menteri besar issue at their emergency meeting which had been scheduled for Nov 24.

“It is believed that the emergency meeting is to discuss on the amendments to the party constitution, which is to be carried out after the party election probably in May, next year,” said the party insider.