PKR MOVING IN FOR THE KILL

The Palace has now sought the advise of lawyers to see how to handle this matter. This means the Palace is going to look through the Selangor State Constitution with a fine-tooth comb to see what is and is not allowed. In short, the Palace is bracing itself for a Constitutional Crisis like what happened in Kelantan in 1978 and Perak in 2009.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Today, PKR sent Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim a show cause letter (READ MORE HERE), which he needs to respond to within three days or by 8th August 2014, two days before the crucial 10th August meeting to decide his fate.

Basically, it appears like this is PKR’s final move to get rid of Khalid. If he does not respond to the show cause letter or the disciplinary board decides there are enough grounds to sack him from the party then Khalid would be reduced to a party-less Menteri Besar.

And this would mean he would now be an ‘independent’ Menteri Besar who does not belong to or represent any party. And with that PKR would argue that it has every right to seek the removal of a Menteri Besar who does not belong to or represent any party.

In a way this move is also meant as a pre-emptive strike against PAS. If on 10th August PAS does not support the removal of Khalid, then PAS can be told that Khalid had been sacked anyway two days before that on 8th August. Hence whether PAS supports or not the removal of Khalid is of no consequence. PAS no longer has any say in the matter.

What do we know about this crisis so far?

1. Khalid Ibrahim is going to be replaced as Menteri Besar.

2. The move to replace Khalid was mooted about three months after the May 2013 general election and launched via the Kajang Move last January.

3. Khalid is going to be replaced because he has mismanaged the state and is embroiled in abuse of power and corrupt activities plus is not a team player.

4. PKR is going to reveal a 40-page dossier on Khalid’s misconduct.

5. Khalid must resign from his post, if not the party will sack him.

6. Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is going to replace Khalid.

7. Anwar Ibrahim is going to be Wan Azizah’s adviser.

8. If Anwar can be the adviser of Qatar then why can’t he be Wan Azizah’s adviser?

9. Wan Azizah does not mind being Anwar’s puppet.

10. If Wan Azizah is not acceptable to PAS then Ijok State Assemblyman Dr Idris Ahmad can be offered as the alternative.

Those, plus a few other ‘announcements’, have been flooding the mainstream and alternative media over the last couple of months. But there is one thing wrong with all these announcements. And that is: His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor has not been officially informed of all these plans and neither has His Royal Highness given his consent to the removal of Khalid or to his proposed replacement.

What His Royal Highness knows is what he picks up from the mainstream media or the Internet. Everything is still at ‘talk-only’ stage and some of these announcements are contradictory. Yes, there is an alternative to Wan Azizah. No, there is no alternative to Wan Azizah. Yes, the Sultan has the final say. No, the Sultan has no say whatsoever. And many more very confusing and contradicting so-called official announcements that are not official at all but just opinions of various people.

The Palace has now sought the advise of lawyers to see how to handle this matter. This means the Palace is going to look through the Selangor State Constitution with a fine-tooth comb to see what is and is not allowed. In short, the Palace is bracing itself for a Constitutional Crisis like what happened in Kelantan in 1978 and Perak in 2009.

One of Khalid’s alleged misconducts is the way he handled the water agreements. Khalid is being accused of not informing the EXCO or of not getting the EXCO’s approval before signing the agreements. This has now been denied by Teng Chang Khim, an EXCO member who is also a senior DAP leader (READ MORE HERE).

The highest offer to the water concessionaires was made on 20th February 2013, three months before the May 2013 general election. And this was approved by the EXCO. This is an amendment to the first offers made in 2009, a year or so after the March 2008 general election when Pakatan Rakyat first took over Selangor (SEE CHART BELOW).

Since then there has been no change in the offer so the EXCO approval is still valid. And Teng Chang Khim confirms this. So what wrongdoing has Khalid committed regarding the water agreements when what was signed last week was what the EXCO had approved?

The offer to the water concessionaires was made months before the 2013 general election. This offer was approved by the EXCO. That is what was signed last week. PKR never considered this as a problem or an act of misconduct and appointed Khalid for a second term.

And now it is an issue?