Rewriting the history of Azmin’s appointment as Selangor MB

No matter how the Selangor palace spins it, PKR and Pakatan Rakyat had agreed on Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, not Azmin Ali, as the Selangor menteri besar. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, September 23, 2014.

Now that Azmin Ali is appointed the Selangor menteri besar, the Selangor palace has revealed the reasons for naming him and the delay in filling the post after incumbent Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim
resigned from lack of support.

According to the sultan's private secretary, Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani, the ruler had considered the fact that state government was formed through the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact among PKR, DAP and PAS.

"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, which together form a coalition government to administer Selangor," Munir said in a statement today.

Munir also said the palace's delay in naming the new MB was due to the turmoil within PKR and among PR 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.

That is Munir's view of events. The reality, however, can be quite different.

PKR might have elected Azmin as the deputy president but the party leaders never decided to nominate him to replace Khalid when they announced their candidate in July.

PKR only proposed their president, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

One candidate, no more. And DAP had concurred with them. PAS, too, had allowed PKR to name their candidate and agreed to respect their right to the post.

And there is really noting in the state constitution or convention that says the state MB must enjoy the support of everyone, only the majority. And Dr Wan Azizah had that majority, with 30 statutory declarations, including Azmin's.

So not matter how Munir wants to cut it, the delay in naming the MB was not due to disagreement in PR or the fact that the parties did not submit more than one name as requested by the palace.

It was because the palace did not accept the choice of the majority in PR – Dr Wan Azizah.

Even Khalid told a news portal yesterday that her name was not on the list that was considered by the palace.

The question remains, why wasn't she considered despite having the support of the majority of the legislature – a requirement mentioned in the Selangor Constitution.

Only the palace knows the reasons for not even considering her for the job. But at least no one should rewrite the history of Azmin's appointment.

PKR should be blamed for the “Kajang move” that went awry but it was also sure that Dr Wan Azizah was their candidate to replace Khalid, something which they told their allies DAP and PAS.

There is no doubt of that at all, or that she had the majority support to be the Selangor MB.

- TMI