Selangor MB issue: Pakatan refutes media reports

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) today refuted media reports that the issue of the Selangor menteri besar post was discussed in a closed-door PR meeting yesterday.

Pakatan executive secretary Shabrimi Sidek stressed that the meeting did not touch on the matter of finding a replacement candidate for current MB Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Echoing PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali's statement yesterday, Shabrimi said the matter is under the discretion of the PR presidential council.

On Tuesday, Astro AWANI reported that DAP and PAS supported PKR's deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali's bid for the menteri besar post during the meeting.

The final decision, however, will be decided by PKR advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in due time, according to a source within the coalition.

The source added that PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will be dropped off the candidacy list following PAS' rejection of having a female MB.

Commenting on speculation that Dr Wan Azizah may be poised to replace Abdul Khalid, legal adviser to UMNO Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun had said her menstrual cycle will prevent the Kajang rep from becoming MB because she cannot attend religious events during that time of the month.

In the report by New Straits Times today, the lawyer said the post has always been held by a male for that reason although there is no specific clause in state laws that does not allow for a woman to be the menteri besar.

"This is because should a woman menteri besar suffer from "uzur syarie" (period), there will be many obstacles for her to accompany the Sultan at religious functions," Hafarizam was quoted in the report.