Selangor MB crisis: Can Khalid avoid Pakatan’s checkmate?

The political turmoil in Selangor is seemingly back to square one after PKR deputy president Azmin Ali declined PAS' nomination of him as second candidate for mentri besar.

Azmin insisted on following his party's stand on suggesting only one name - its president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail - to the Palace.

This means, as previously agreed, the Pakatan Rakyat leadership will only submit Dr Wan Azizah’s name to Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah for consideration.

However, this does not guarantee that the wife of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be the next Mentri Besar of Selangor.

Several possibilities have surfaced from the latest developments in this long-drawn saga, and the outcome will rely on what the now exiled and independent Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim (pic) does next.

In a statement on Sunday, Khalid had indicated that he accepted the PAS leadership’s decision to retract their support for him with an ‘open heart’, and would seek an audience with the Sultan to advise him on the next move.

Khalid could concede defeat and tell the Sultan that he is willing to resign immediately and without a fuss now that he no longer has the backing of any party within Pakatan.

This would be the best case scenario for Pakatan, which would then be able get Wan Azizah installed as the new MB as soon as possible.

However, judging from Khalid’s actions since his sacking from PKR on Aug 9, the embattled mentri besar is not likely to give way so easily and may still have a trump card up his sleeve.

He could very well decide to delay his departure until November, which is when the state assembly is scheduled to convene next, and choose to exit by way of a vote of no confidence.

Now that PAS has also pledged support to replacing him, the three Pakatan parties would easily obtain the majority to vote him out of office, as they hold 43 of the 56 state seats.

When that happens, PKR will be free to nominate Dr Wan Azizah for the post, although it remains to be seen if the Sultan will accept just one name.

This is because the common case when it comes to the appointment of MB is for the Palace to ask for at least two or three names, with the ruler using his discretion to decide.

Pakatan will then be forced to submit another choice for mentri besar, and as discussed at the meeting between the coalition’s leaders on Sunday evening, Azmin’s name would be put forth alongside Azizah’s.

If that scenario were to pan out, sources say Azmin stands a good chance of being the new mentri besar as the Palace is said to not be in favour of Dr Wan Azizah, also having twice denied her request to seek an audience with the Sultan to explain the crisis.

The final possibility is that Khalid could advise the Sultan to dissolve the state assembly for snap elections in view of the political impasse engulfing the state.

This would be seen as a drastic move, but a likely one nevertheless as Khalid himself had indicated that it was a possible option to resolve the crisis in the state once and for all.

Pakatan lawmakers in the state are hoping to avoid such an outcome, and are pushing for an emergency state assembly sitting before November to decide Khalid’s fate.