Eight former contract officers of former Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim will face legal action if they fail to return the severance payments of RM2.3 million which they accepted from the state government.

Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali said the decision to take legal action came after the two-week grace period which had been given to them to reply to the claims by the Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI) expired Monday.

Azmin said the lawyers of MBI management had been instructed to take further action in the legal process.

"The two weeks given to all of Abdul Khalid's former aides ended yesterday (Monday) and they refused to return the severance money.

"As such, we have taken the decision to continue with legal action," he said after attending a gathering with corporate commmunication officers at the Shah Alam Convention Centre here Tuesday.

The officers who had received a severance payment of between RM114,870 and RM699,000 had been given two weeks to return the money.

Azmin added that the eight former contract officers who had served with Abdul Khalid would be given a severance payment according to current allocations.

He claimed that the process of severance payment given to the former aides had contravened the state's financial regulations and terms of their contracts.

The MBI management would also review all payments which should have been made to the contract officers according to their contracts.

Meanwhile, a former contract officer, former MBI Chief Executive Officer, Faekah Hussin, when contacted by Bernama refused to elaborate on the matter, saying the group had appointed a lawyer and had been advised not to make any comments.

He added that any letter, document or notification would get a reply from the lawyer in accordance with the law to avoid any prejudice on the matter.