GETTING IN THROUGH THE BACK DOOR

And in the event that Anwar does not agree to allow Khalid Ibrahim to complete his term, or agree to someone from PAS taking over as Menteri Besar, then it is within the constitutional powers of His Highness the Sultan to dissolve the Selangor State Assembly so that fresh elections can be called.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Muhammad son of Muhammad will be assisting the new Selangor Menteri Besar, Anwar Ibrahim, to run the state once Anwar takes over soon after the Kajang by-election. Anwar is proud of the fact that he will be getting a man of vast experience to help him run the state. Maybe Khir Toyo should resign from Umno and join PKR or PAS and also help Anwar and Muhammad run Selangor.

In case you have forgotten, this man with two Muhammads in his name is probably the most colourful Selangor Menteri Besar ever and it was Tun Daim Zainuddin who was instrumental in making Muhammad the Menteri Besar back in 1986. Hence Muhammad was very much a Dr Mahathir-Daim-Anwar crony and who was part of Anwar’s ‘Team Wawasan’ in 1993 when they made their successful move to oust Deputy Prime Minister Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba.

Muhammad also made history as being the first person ever to be acquitted of the charge of smuggling millions in and out of Australia on grounds that he speekee no Inggeris. The Australian court agreed that if you do not speak English then you could not possibly be guilty of any crime.

Muhammad’s most controversial act ever was probably when he eloped with the late Sultan’s daughter (the present Sultan’s sister). When His Highness heard about it he summoned Muhammad for an audience and the latter swore in the name of Allah that all these stories were mere lies and not true at all. Later, of course, it was confirmed that Muhammad had in fact married His Highness’s daughter on the sly.

PAS does not support Anwar becoming the Menteri Besar and they have said so openly. So this is Anwar’s way of seeking a compromise with PAS by making Muhammad, a PAS member, as his ‘helper’. Hence PAS would have some ‘say’ in the Menteri Besar’s office. And with Anwar flying over the world, PAS, through Muhammad, can practically run the state — or so they think.

What Anwar has not told PAS yet, though, and if he did then PAS would jump, is that Anwar is going to create the post of Deputy Menteri Besar and he is going to give this job to Azmin Ali.

We all know that Anwar not only is not a good manager but he is too busy to sit down and run the state with all his jet-setting and international meetings and lectures he has to attend to. Hence, in his absence, and he will be absent for sure, Azmin would become the de facto Menteri Besar cum gatekeeper.

Azmin is quite infamous for his gatekeeper work during the time when Anwar was the Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. This was one of the main grievances that people had against Anwar and Azmin at that time. People not only had to pay Azmin for appointments to meet Anwar but they also had to give him a commission on all successful deals.

So, as Deputy Menteri Besar, Azmin is going to be the de facto Menteri Besar with ‘Mike Tyson’ as his assistant. That is one way of becoming the Menteri Besar, although not it name but certainly in function, by going through the back door.

Anwar will still have a few hurdles to jump over, though.

First would be, although Muhammad son of Muhammad is a PAS member, he is not the party’s choice for Assistant Deputy Menteri Besar. He is merely Anwar’s choice and Anwar is selecting him while bypassing PAS and without consultation with the party.

If Anwar wants an Assistant Deputy Menteri Besar, PAS has other candidates in mind, people without the baggage that Muhammad is carrying. And this has made PAS furious. PAS feels there are other more senior and qualified leaders from PAS Selangor to choose from.

Secondly, the idea of Deputy Menteri Besar has been mooted before and His Highness had rejected the proposal. I doubt that His Highness would agree to the idea now when he was against it in the past.

If Anwar is too busy to run Selangor and he needs a Deputy Menteri Besar and an Assistant Deputy Menteri Besar to help him, then this means Anwar should not become the Menteri Besar. And in the event that Anwar does not agree to allow Khalid Ibrahim to complete his term, or agree to someone from PAS taking over as Menteri Besar, then it is within the constitutional powers of His Highness the Sultan to dissolve the Selangor State Assembly so that fresh elections can be called.