PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang Friday defended Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and wanted the latter to remain as Selangor Menteri Besar.
“That is my stand and I hope all PAS leaders are with me,” he said, adding that the decision was made after considering the views of majority of the PAS grassroots.
“I have heard all the arguments, gathered them before I finally found that the majority of PAS grassroots agree for Khalid Ibrahim to be maintained on the concept of trust, which he has not betrayed,” he told reporters when met after the Friday lecture at his house in Rusila, Marang, today.
According to Abdul Hadi, the results of reviews and research done personally by him and some parties, either from PAS or external parties, found that the majority of Selangorians still agree for Abdul Khalid to be retained as Chief Minister, however, it depends on the Sultan of Selangor’s consent.
Abdul Hadi said Abdul Khalid’s track record, in helming Selangor, and retaining Selangor in the 13th general election could not be denied, despite problems in the Pakatan Rakyat.
Previously, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, announced that the Pakatan Rakyat Leadership Council, which met last Wednesday, received PKR’s proposal to replace Abdul Khalid and nominated their President, Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, to fill the position.
Abdul Hadi said that the reason of those who want to change the Chief Minister of Selangor is not strong and he personally disagrees because he does not see Abdul Khalid being involved in any terrible trouble.
“”If he is involved in a scandal, breach of trust, misappropriation of government funds, then we can change, but if it is because of other reasons, it is not by changing the Chief Minister. Let him complete his term.
“The issue is to fulfil the trust of the leader. We have found that Tan Sri Khalid has not reached a level of treason against this trust, it would be wrong for us to drop him,” he stressed.
When asked whether his decision would cause a split in the opposition coalition, he said that: That is in the future and we can discuss and negotiate. PAS will continue with Pakatan Rakyat and different opinions have been common since time immemorial”.
When asked is his stance is seen as PAS trying to stop what is claimed as the last resort for Anwar to go to Putrajaya, Abdul Khalid denied it saying that it is the struggle of the opposition coalition and not a personal struggle, but a struggle for the people.
When asked the possibility of PAS inviting Abdul Khalid to join the party, Abdul Hadi said PAS had no intention of doing so.
“That is not our way and since the beginning, although we have 15 seats, which is more than PKR, we give PKR the Chief Minister seat because we already have the (Chief Minister) seat in Kelantan,” he said, adding that his health is better and he still is following current political developments.
Prior to this, Abdul Hadi went through a follow-up examination at the National Heart Institute (IJN) after his health was reportedly affected after he attended a conference in Turky last month.
At the moment, PAS has 15 seats in the Selangor State Assembly, while PKR has 14 and DAP, 15.
– BERNAMA
NS
