KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 – The Sultan of Selangor settled for Mohamed Azmin Ali for the Selangor menteri besar post because the state ruler was confident that the PKR deputy president would have the support of his party and of Pakatan Rakyat. The Sultan’s private secretary, Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani, said the ruler had considered the fact that state government was formed through a pact between PKR, DAP and PAS. He said the Sultan also understood that the new MB had to be appointed from among the PKR assemblymen in Selangor in order to enjoy the confidence of the majority and support from Pakatan parties in the state assembly.
“Azmin is also the deputy president of PKR and based on this, the Sultan has confidence that a deputy president must certainly have the support. Not just from PKR, but also from PAS and DAP who together form a coalition government to administer Selangor,” Munir said in a statement today. Munir said that the palace’s delay in naming the new MB was because of the turmoil within PKR and between Pakatan parties over the candidate. He said DAP and PKR’s refusal to submit more than two names as requested by the palace on August 27 had complicated matters and caused the Sultan to consider other candidates. DAP and PKR had submitted only Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s name, while PAS had given three names.
Refuting claims of palace interference in the administration of the state and appointment of the MB, Munir maintained that the Sultan had acted according to provisions in the Selangor State Enactment 1959, and in the Constitution of Selangor 1959. “The Sultan hopes Azmin will carry out his duties with the fullest responsibility, honesty and sincerity and with the highest integrity, and to always put first the interest of the people and of the state in his administration.” Yesterday, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said she was withdrawing her candidacy for the MB post to give way to Azmin, and that his helming of the state government would be supported by PKR’s central leadership.
Dr Wan Azizah had long be slated to fill the post, first through the “Kajang Move” to stage a by-election in order to get her a seat in the Selangor legislative assembly. Her statement yesterday said she accepted the Sultan’s decision with “an open heart” for the sake of the people and for a quick end to the impasse. DAP and PAS have also issued statements that they now accept Azmin as the Sultan’s choice for MB. However, PKR in a statement last night said that while it accepted the decision, it also noted that this episode had not been done according to the law. “The MPP (central leadership council) also disagrees with the way the palace handled the nomination process of Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who was not summoned for an audience despite having clear majority support,” it had said.
