MB crisis not a numbers game, warns DAP

DAP warned its allies not to fish in troubled waters by taking sacked Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim as a member, saying it was unprincipled to turn the crisis into a game of numbers.

Its adviser and parliamentary leader, Lim Kit Siang (pic), said the greatest challenge facing Pakatan Rakyat now was to restore public trust and confidence in the opposition pact.

‎"There is nothing more unprincipled or dishonourable than to reduce the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor menteri besar crisis into a game of numbers when the greatest challenge facing PAS, PKR and DAP leaders is to restore the badly damaged public trust and confidence in Pakatan through a reaffirmation of the common policy platform and principles of justice, freedom, accountability, transparency and good governance as the basis of new politics in Malaysia," he said in a statement today.

Khalid was sacked by his party PKR yesterday for refusing to follow party directive to quit and allow president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to take over the post.

Following the move, PKR now has 13 assemblymen in the ‎56-seat state assembly, while PAS and DAP each have 15. The other 12 are from Umno.

‎Lim said it was "most repugnant" and "obnoxious" of anyone to even think that Khalid could join either PAS or DAP so that either party could lay claim to the MB post, or even that the former corporate captain could continue to helm the state.

The Gelang Patah MP said no "self-respecting" political ‎party or leader would even consider such a "dishonourable" proposal which, he added, would be the final straw in destroying Pakatan's credibility.

"I am most gratified that all the three Pakatan Rakyat component parties of PAS, PKR and DAP have reaffirmed their commitment to Pakatan after the expulsion of Khalid from PKR yesterday," he said.

Now was the time to save the coalition, said Lim, and all Pakatan leaders must exercise great discipline to show their commitment to the pact’s principles and objectives.

They must also not do or say anything which could be used by their foes to undermine the alternative coalition, he added.

‎Noting that Pakatan was facing its worst crisis since it was formed after the 2008 general election, Lim said the survival of the pact depended on the political integrity and sense of honour of all its leaders to stay true and loyal to the original principles and aspirations of the coalition.

Khalid had been facing mounting pressure from his own party to resign over his handling of Selangor’s affairs.

These included the state’s management of water resources, the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway, and seizure of Bibles in Malay and Iban by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais).

With his expulsion, analysts said that legally, Khalid was still the MB but would find it difficult to function as the state’s chief executive because PKR’s decision yesterday had taken away all political and moral authority for him to govern.

PKR has named its president, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who won the Kajang by-election earlier this year, as Khalid's replacement.

But Khalid has remained adamant that he would not step down as MB, saying he would serve his full term.

He was issued a show-cause letter on Tuesday by PKR for going against the party decision.

Following his expulsion yesterday, Khalid said the action was "flawed and illegal" and vowed to remain as MB pending advice from the sultan. – August 10, 2014.