Sultan has final say in MB crisis

Calling for an emergency state assembly sitting or holding snap elections cannot take place without first obtaining the Selangor Sultan’s consent, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim pointed out today, as he deflected calls from his detractors to prove his legitimacy as mentri besar.

Khalid, who was responding to claims that he no longer commands the confidence of the state assembly, said that nothing can take place until and unless the state ruler is formally informed of the situation.

“The process of what happens depends on the consent and discretion of His Highness the Sultan,” Khalid told reporters when met at the Shah Alam mosque here.

When asked whether this includes the option of dissolving the state assembly, the Port Klang assemblyman said “everything.”

“That will have to be discussed with the Sultan,” he added, referring to calls by PKR and DAP for an emergency state assembly sitting to be held to discuss his position as mentri besar.

Khalid also denied allegations that he was deliberately clinging on to his post until November’s Selangor budget sitting.

“I have no knowledge of that,” he said.

MB Khalid has refused to acknowledge PKR and DAP’s claims of securing majority support to replace him, saying they needed to substantiate this with a motion of no-confidence against him.

Neither Khalid nor his detractors have initiated such a move, however, prolonging the protracted dispute over his position.

The Selangor mentri besar said he is “aware” of PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s claim yesterday that he no longer has majority support, but said this means nothing until it goes through its proper process in the state assembly.

Two PAS state assemblymen yesterday publicly expressed support for PKR’s Dr Wan Azizah to become Selangor mentri besar, effectively removing Khalid’s claim of commanding majority support.

The two are Hulu Klang and Morib state assemblymen Saari Sungib and Hasnul Baharuddin.

Constitutional law experts previously told Malay Mail Online that lawmakers could use external means such as statutory declarations and official letters to indicate their support outside of the state assembly, citing the 2009 Perak crisis.
But they also warned that such a method was fraught with the risk of legal challenge.

Khalid on Monday said the Selangor Sultan had consented to him remaining as mentri besar despite his sacking from PKR, after convincing the ruler that he still enjoyed the backing of most Selangor lawmakers.

But with yesterday’s development, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) now has 30 of the state’s 56 assemblymen backing the PKR president to replace Khalid.
PAS previously held out on declaring its position and is due to make its decision on August 17.

-malaymail