PAS Syura Council wants Khalid retained as Selangor MB

The council, which met Wednesday, said in a statement that its decision was based on Islamic law and in keeping with the stand that the people's interests must precede individual and party interests.

The statement was published on the official website of the party Thursday.

The council emphasised that the post of Selangor menteri besar was a joint right which had been agreed to by the three parties in Pakatan Rakyat to have Abdul Khalid continue to hold the post of menteri besar in Selangor for the second term after the 13th General Election.

"Hence, so long as there is no conviction for breach of the mandate that necessitates that the menteri besar be dropped, the PAS Syura Council has decided that Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim be retained as the Selangor menteri besar," said the statement.

The council said that should Abdul Khalid be found guilty by the relevant authorities, such as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) or the courts, it was prepared to review his position.

The statement by the council comes in the wake of the refusal by Abdul Khalid of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) to step down as the menteri besar in keeping with a PKR leadership decision to have him replaced by PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

PKR has issued Abdul Khalid a show-cause letter for defying the party's decision on the change of menteri besar in Selangor. Abdul Khalid said he had replied to the show-cause letter, which he had to do by Friday.

The PKR leadership is scheduled to meet on Saturday to discuss the reply.