Trouble brewing over new Selangor MB appointment

KUALA LUMPUR - Trouble appears to be brewing over the Selangor Menteri Besar post, with claims emerging that Amirudin Shari’s appointment as the new MB did not receive the endorsement of Pakatan Harapan (PH) parties.

PKR’s Ijok state assemblyman, Dr Idris Ahmad, said Amirudin only had the support of the outgoing MB (and Selangor PH chief) Datuk Seri Mohd Azmin Ali, while he (Idris) had the support of all parties within PH. Dr Idris, speaking at a press conference at his home on Tuesday, showed the media copies of the endorsement letters. which were supposedly signed by four parties.

The letters were allegedly penned in June and endorsed Idris as the menteri besar. They were supposedly signed separately by PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Selangor Bersatu chief Datuk Abdul Rashid Asari; Selangor Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) chief Izham Hashim; and Selangor DAP chief Tony Pua.

“The PKR president (Dr Wan Azizah) also sent a letter announcing my nomination for the consideration of the Sultan of Selangor (Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah),” he claimed.

Dr Idris claimed that before the 14th General Election, he was touted as being the next Selangor MB. However, he said he was stunned when days later, it was Azmin who was sworn in as the MB on May 11, a decision he claimed also did not receive the endorsement of PH.

Azmin later vacated the MB post to accept his appointment as the new Economic Affairs Minister in the Federal Cabinet.

Dr Idris claimed that he had asked people close to the party president and was informed that no one from party leadership gave a letter of support for Azmin.

“I do not want to be a gentleman anymore, he (Azmin) went there (Istana Alam Shah) himself (to submit the name of the new MB),” he said.

Dr Idris claimed that the names of the other candidates, namely Amirudin and Seri Setia state assemblyman Shaharuddin Badaruddin, were only submitted after the Selangor palace had asked for the names of three candidates.

He added that his name was placed at the top of the MB candidates' list.

Meanwhile, Azmin rejected Dr Idris’ claims, saying that Amirudin’s appointment as MB was achieved through consensus.

“I don’t want to be involved in this polemic. Discussions were carried out smoothly and it was done in the spirit of consensus to ensure continuity,” Azmin was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini.