Published: Sunday August 10, 2014 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Sunday August 10, 2014 MYT 9:46:18 AM
Updated: Sunday August 10, 2014 MYT 9:46:18 AM
The Star
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PETALING JAYA: PKR has sacked Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim from the party for his refusal to vacate his Selangor Mentri Besar post.
The decision came after Khalid did not to turn up to face a disciplinary hearing, as ordered by PKR disciplinary committee chairman Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong by noon yesterday.
Dr Tan said PKR’s leadership had unanimously decided to sack Khalid with immediate effect for openly defying the party’s orders.
Khalid responded to his sacking by saying that it was “flawed and illegal” but he acknowledged the decision.
He said he would seek an audience with the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, to inform him of this latest development and listen to any views that the ruler might have to share.
“Until such a time as this issue is resolved in accordance with proper procedures, laws and conventions, particularly in the Selangor Constitution, I will continue to perform my duty to the people as the Mentri Besar of Selangor to the best of my ability,” he said in a statement issued at 8pm.
During the announcement made about two hours earlier, Dr Tan told a packed news conference that Khalid had failed to adhere to the decision made by the leadership on July 21 that he relinquishes his post to make way for party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
“Having taken into consideration Khalid’s reply to the show-cause letter issued to him, we feel that he is no longer abiding by party decisions and as such, can no longer be part of the party.
“Khalid had defied decisions by the Pakatan Rakyat presidential council on several state issues and failed to provide timely explanations to these issues,” Dr Tan said.
The issues included the discussion on the Langat 2 project, which Pakatan leaders wanted to delay, the restructuring of the state’s water industry and the construction of the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex).
He said that Khalid had also failed to explain his RM67mil Bank Islam debt that was settled out of court.
Dr Tan, however, said Khalid had 14 days to appeal the decision.
“If he chooses to appeal, then a separate committee will be formed to look into the matter,” he said.
PKR supreme council member R. Sivarasa said although Khalid was still legally the Mentri Besar, he should immediately inform the Sultan of his decision to step down, as he no longer had the support of the majority in the state assembly.
Asked why PKR had not considered Khalid’s request to postpone the disciplinary hearing to Aug 15, party secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that Khalid had been given opportunities to explain himself in the past, but had failed to do so, denying speculation that the decision was intended to pressure PAS into withdrawing support for the embattled Mentri Besar.
“This has nothing to do with PAS. He is a PKR member and the party has the right to exercise its decision on the matter,” he added.
In Kota Baru, PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said the party would stand firm that Khalid should remain as Mentri Besar and was prepared for any consequences of the decision.
On Friday, Khalid issued a second reply to the party’s disciplinary committee, requesting for his hearing to be postponed to Aug 15, saying that he had been given too short a notice.
In his written response, he also questioned why the party had demanded an explanation on issues that fell under the executive powers of the state, as PKR was only authorised to question him on party-related offences.
The Malaysian Insider – 16 hours ago
PKR expels Khalid for defying party on Selangor MB post
The Malaysian Insider – 16 hours agoRELATED CONTENT
View PhotoUnanimous decision to fire Khalid except on the timing, say PKR insiders
PKR today expelled Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim for disobeying party orders to make way for party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the new Selangor menteri besar, raising the question if there is a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government in Selangor.
The party leadership council met at 3pm to deliberate the issue. Khalid is not a member of the top decision-making body in the party but he had earlier tried to stop any discussion on his position.
The Port Klang assemblyman and also Bandar Tun Razak MP had sent a legal letter demanding that PKR not discuss his position as Selangor mentri besar until he had a chance to defend himself at the party’s disciplinary committee meeting.
The sacking means both PKR and PR lose a seat each in the Selangor legislative assembly and the federal parliament.
The DAP was to meet tomorrow while PAS will meet on August 17 to discuss the Selangor MB issue but it would appear to be a moot point now, with Khalid's removal from PKR.
PKR disciplinary committee chairman Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong said Khalid had defied the party leadership council which had agreed unanimously on July 21 to appoint Dr Wan Azizah as the Selangor menteri besar.
"He made a statement on July 22 that he was not going to quit and up till today he has yet to quit," Dr Tan said at a press conference today.
"On this basis the disciplinary board is of the view he has to be sacked,” he said.
In a statement read to the media, Tan said Khalid had also defied the decision made by the PR Presidential Council to delay discussions on the Langat 2 water project and postpone the pay rise of the Selangor speaker, menteri besar, exco and assemblymen.
“He also failed to abide by the PR Presidential Council’s decision, which he himself agreed to, to involve the Selangor Water Restructuring Committee in the issue of restructuring Selangor’s water assets,” said Tan.
He added that Khalid had insisted on pursuing the Kidex highway project despite opposition from the party and had failed to explain to the PR Presidential Council his out-of-court settlement of his debt with Bank Islam worth almost RM67 million.
But he said Khalid had 14 days from the date he received his expulsion letter to appeal to the PKR leadership council to revoke the sacking.
If the council accepted his appeal, they would form a separate committee to look into his case, said Tan. – August 9, 2014.
