TTF: The 14th general election concluded a little over two weeks ago. Yet, we’re being told that the list of candidates for the post of Selangor Menteri Besar will only be handed to Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah once Aidilfitri is over (see news item below). That’s roughly 24 days from now, or 40 days from the day GE14 concluded. Yet, we’re only talking about the submissions and not the swearing in of a new Menteri Besar.
Now, doesn’t that strike you as weird?
Take a look at the seat distribution for the Selangor Legislative Assembly:
UMNO : 4
PKR : 21
DAP : 16
PPBM : 6
Amanah : 8
Clearly, PKR has the upper hand in deciding who gets to become Menteri Besar of Selangor. Yet, the party seems undecided who it can trust and is keeping Dato’ Seri Azmin Ali as Menteri Besar for the moment. A well placed source informed TTF that the indecision stems from Azmin’s own refusal to vacate the position upon discovering that Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (Jijah) and Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim were planning yet another “Langkah Kajang,” albeit with a difference.
If what we’re told is true, Jijah is bent on nominating someone who is willing to step down the minute her hubby tells him to. Then, a year from now, Anwar will trigger a by-election to grant himself a pass into the Dewan Rakyat. Once that happens, Dr Mahathir Mohamad will initiate a transition plan that involves naming Anwar as his new deputy and forcing the Selangor ruler to turn Jijah into the new Menteri Besar of Selangor.
And when Mahathir is ready to step down, he will join Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz and Daim Zainuddin in the Council of Elders before handing over the reins of government to Anwar. What happens thereafter has something to do with “revitalising UMNO” and is something I do not wish to discuss at this very moment.
SHAH ALAM: The new Selangor Menteri Besar may be appointed after Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said the Selangor Pakatan Harapan would meet next week to discuss about several potential candidates before submitting a name to the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.
“Once we have discussed and decided on the candidate, we will submit the name to His Majesty for consent, probably it will all be done after Aidilfitri,” he told reporters at the Sultan of Selangor’s Iftar programme with the staff of Universiti Teknologi Mara here today.
A new Menteri Besar of Selangor has to be appointed after Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah consented to Mohamed Azmin assuming the post of Minister of Economic Affairs.
However, Mohamed Azmin had to remain as the Menteri Besar for the time being, until an orderly transfer of power to his successor was completed.
Meanwhile, when asked about the development of the Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant (LRA2) project, he said his ministry would provide ministerial papers to be tabled to the Cabinet later.
He said it was for the Cabinet to review the decision to start the plant’s operation which was put on hold during the previous federal government’s administration under Barisan Nasional.
“LRA2 has long been completed and I have attended a briefing on it this morning and decided to prepare the ministerial papers so that this matter will be reconsidered at Cabinet level. I am confident that the PH government will allow LRA2 to operate immediately,” he said.
Also present at the Iftar programme were Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin and the Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah.
Source: NST Online
