No plot to replace Abdul Khalid as Selangor MB - Tian Chua

NO SUCH THING - PKR veep Tian Chua said there was no plot to make the party president the next MB (Graphic by Dayang Norazhar/The Mole)

KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Tian Chua dismissed speculations that a plot was being hatched to make party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail the next Mentri Besar of Selangor.


The move purportedly aims at neutralising a conflict between current MB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and PKR deputy-president Mohamed Azmin Ali.

Tian Chua, who is also Member of Parliament for Batu, said that the speculation was created to cause instability in the party.

“No such thing. Please don’t spin,” Tian Chua told The Mole when asked whether he was aware of such a plot.

When further asked about Abdul Khalid’s statement that Dr Wan Azizah is actually qualified as the next MB, Tian Chua responded: “He’s merely saying the president is qualified as MB, nobody should read more than that”.

Abdul Khalid, who is also MP for Bandar Tun Razak and state assemblyman for Ijok, had stated that Dr Wan Azizah is qualified to be MB if the latter contests in any state seat in Selangor.

He had made the statement after being asked by reporters about speculations that Dr Wan Azizah is making a move into the state.

However, bloggers claimed that this further proved there was indeed a tussle between Abdul Khalid’s camp and Mohamed Azmin’s camp, and the move to place Dr Wan Azizah is needed to cool of the heat.

Portal AIDC had quoted Malaysian Reformation Movement (Reformasi) president Ramlan Abu Bakar as saying that Mohamed Azmin had indeed used the organisation to weaken Abdul Khalid’s administration.

Ramlan revealed in October 2010 that he had been instructed by Mohamed Azmin’s special officer to orchestrate the movement to topple the MB.

Meanwhile, former Selangor MB Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo also claimed that Mohamed Azmin had made a few PKR Selangor divisions lose confidence in Abdul Khalid.

“Azmin’s supporters have made their move. In fact, I was reliably informed that more branches and divisions of PKR will be dissolved,” Mohamad Khir said, as quoted in a daily newspaper.

An online portal pointed out that Abdul Khalid might only defend the Bandar Tun Razak Parliament seat, but not the Ijok state seat, leaving him ineligible to defend the MB post.

Another political pundit said Mohamed Azmin might have the chance to be next MB since he is PKR state liaison chairman, but the move to put forward the president as one of the seat candidates blocks his wish.

"That (move to place Dr Wan Azizah) might be a step to replace Abdul Khalid after GE13 if PR maintains power in Selangor," said Prof Dr Jayum Jawan as quoted in a news portal.

He said it would be odd if the party president wins a state seat and yet someone else is the Mentri Besar.

Meanwhile, Dr Wan Azizah, who is linked with the Sementa seat, was quoted as saying that she did not rule out the possibility of contesting in Selangor.

However, she pointed out that it is yet to be decided.