Bombshell from Selangor palace


i967.photobucket.com_albums_ae159_Malaysia-Today_Mug shots_Joceline-Tan_zpsd4dc01aa

The Selangor Sultan’s statement expressing disappointment with PKR and DAP on the mentri besar issue is the clearest indication yet that the palace does not regard Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to be suitable for the top job.

Joceline Tan, The Star

THE Sultan of Selangor’s use of the term derhaka stunned many people who have been watching the never-ending mentri besar saga in the state.

There had been hints that the Sultan was planning to issue a strong statement this week on the Selangor crisis, but few expected such a bombshell.

The statement was meant to express the Sultan’s disappointment over the way the mentri besar issue has dragged on.

But everyone’s attention was on the term derhaka that was used to describe PKR and DAP for not abiding by the royal decree to submit more than two names for the top post. The two parties had insisted on only Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

It was rather strong and some have interpreted it as “treacherous”, but it is understood that what the Sultan meant was that PKR and DAP had been “disloyal” by ignoring the decree. He also regarded their action as amounting to kebiadapan or “insolence” towards the institution of the Rulers.

But the real bombshell lay in the declaration that the next mentri besar could come from the names proposed by the three parties or from any of the qualified Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen outside the list.

The window of opportunity seems to have closed for PKR and DAP.

The justification for proposing only Dr Wan Azizah is that she has the support of 30 Pakatan assemblymen. PKR had refused to send more names despite a reminder letter from the palace last Wednesday shortly before the deadline.

The two parties had been engaged in a battle of wills with the palace and it has come to this.

As far as the palace is concerned, the next Mentri Besar must possess expertise, experience, integrity and ability, apart from enjoying the majority support.

The palace statement said there were other Pakatan assemblymen with these qualities which were necessary for the state administration to run smoothly and be in harmony with the people.

It was hard for PKR to swallow, but the statement was yet another rejection of Dr Wan Azizah from the palace.

The Sultan is telling the coalition that if they continue to push for only one name, he may have to pick a name from outside the list and it is likely to be either PKR deputy president Azmin Ali or PAS state chief Iskandar Samad.

The precedence is there for him to do so. In 2008, the Terengganu Sultan rejected Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh who had the overwhelming support of Umno assemblymen and then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and settled for Datuk Seri Ahmad Said who was backed by only three assemblymen.

The palace position has been portrayed by some as the Sultan exerting his will over the ruling coalition in Selangor.

But the monarch has closely followed each and every development on the issue. He can see that Dr Wan Azizah is a devoted wife and mother. But her track record as a political leader and wakil rakyat is not outstanding, especially the way she treats elections like a revolving door – in and out according to the wishes of her husband Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The Sultan also knows that PAS is not in favour of Dr Wan Azizah. PAS’ top three ulama have openly stated that she does not have what it takes to be Mentri Besar. The three are PAS mursyidul am Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang and deputy mursyidul am Datuk Dr Haron Din.

Dr Haron said the Syura Council, the highest decision-making body in PAS, would have endorsed her if she had the qualities while Hadi pointed out that she could not even hold her own in parliamentary debates.

There has been an orchestra of attacks from DAP and PKR against PAS and Hadi in particular. They slammed him for his own unremarkable track record that included losing Terengganu after only one term.

But it is hard for anyone in PAS to go against the top three. These elderly ulama may come across as male chauvinists, but they command the moral high ground in politics and religion.

It is quite embarrassing for Dr Wan Azizah to be thrashed like this, but what her party did to outgoing Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim was far worse.

Her dilemma is that her party has been unable to quash the perception that she will be a proxy of Anwar or what the palace has termed as a “remote-controlled MB”.

Her Pakatan partners claimed that her strength is teamwork but that only underscores the perception that people like Anwar and Kajang Move architect Rafizi Ramli will be the ones calling the shots if she is Mentri Besar.

That will not be good for Selangor. Rafizi, with his arrogant ideas, has done so much damage that few want him involved in the running of Selangor.

It is unclear at this point in time whether PKR and DAP will continue to defy the Sultan. Anwar, who has been away in Istanbul, returned last night to a different playing field. All big decisions in PKR revolve around him and no one can quite predict what he will do next.

Will his party apologise and ask for another chance to present more names? That is not entirely impossible because the Sultan’s heart is not carved in stone.

Or will Anwar take the hardline stand and continue to demand that his wife be made the Mentri Besar?

 



Comments
Loading...