NGO: Crisis will prolong if Azmin picked

Jingga 13, which backs Wan Azizah, says Azmin Ali does not have the trust of the party.

SHAH ALAM: A non-governmental organisation called “Jingga 13” has stated that PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali should not be nominated to be the new menteri besar as he did not have the trust and mandate of the party.

Its chief coordinator, Fariz Musa, said the crisis in the Selangor administration would prolong if any candidate other than PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was appointed to the post.

“Jingga 13 supports Dr Wan Azizah as the candidate for menteri besar because she fulfils all requirements in the Laws of the Constitution of Selangor, which includes the majority support of 30 Selangor state assemblymen,” he told a news conference here today.

Meanwhile, Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim is keeping mum over his successor to be sworn in at the Istana Alam Shah in Klang on Tuesday.

He also declined to comment on the handover process of the highest post in the Selangor government.

“There is nothing … we have agreed not to comment until Tuesday (swearing-in ceremony),” he told reporters after launching the Shah Alam City Ride organised by Tourism Selangor at Dataran Kemerdekaan here today.

Abdul Khalid also declined comment when asked about his plans after he steps down as the menteri besar.

“That too will be announced after Tuesday,” he said.

The question of who will be Abdul Khalid’s successor remains unanswered although the Selangor palace has confirmed that the swearing-in of the new menteri besar will be held on Tuesday.

The Sultan of Selangor’s private secretary, Mohamad Munir Bani, was reported as saying yesterday that the name of the new menteri besar would be announced by Monday at the latest, depending on the consent of the sultan.

The names of Azmin and Cempaka assemblyman Iskandar Abdul Samad of PAS have been mentioned as the candidates to become the 15th menteri besar of Selangor.

Star newspaper reported today that Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has consented to grant an audience to Azmin; Iskandar, who is Selangor PAS commissioner and another Selangor state executive councillor from PAS and Sijangkang assemblyman Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi separately earlier this week.

The daily said the meeting would allow the sultan to evaluate their suitability in holding the post, and was one of the last steps towards determining who would be the best candidate to replace Khalid. –Bernama