PKR first family split on Khalid

Sunday June 27, 2010

Analysis

By JOCELINE TAN

Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has been damaged by the criticism against him but he will probably survive as Mentri Besar after the PKR retreat ends today.

SOMETHING intriguing is happening in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s family.

It looks like the three politicians in the family are on different paths regarding the crisis over Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s leadership of Selangor.

Anwar has not uttered a word since the issue exploded. As PKR’s ketua umum or supreme leader, he is trying to remain statesman-like and stay above the fray.

But the Permatang Pauh MP is also torn between the two men at the centre of the crisis. He had personally brought Khalid into PKR and made him party treasurer before Khalid found fame as Selangor Mentri Besar. On the other hand, he and party vice-president Azmin Ali go back a long way and their ties are quite unshakable.

PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, on the other hand, seems inclined towards Khalid particularly after her long-time political secretary Faekah Hussin quit to become Khalid’s political secretary. The move had her blessings and is seen as Khalid’s way of telling his detractors that the party president is on his side.

But their daughter Nurul Izzah, who is Lembah Pantai MP, is clearly among the MPs critical of Khalid going by her comments that Khalid’s good intentions are not always in line with the thinking of party leaders.

If this powerful political family can be so divergent on the issue of Khalid’s future, what more those at the PKR retreat in Shah Alam where the issue of Khalid is expected to take centrestage today.

But Khalid’s political future will not be decided by the end of today because a retreat of this nature does not have the power to replace a mentri besar.

The ultimate decision on Khalid will have to be made by the PKR supreme council although some say that it is basically Anwar’s call.

But the discussion at the retreat will enable the leadership to weigh the political cost and benefit of Khalid staying or going.

He is digging his heels in and has tried to rally forces in the state behind him. Selangor Youth chief Khairul Annuar has issued a series of press statements supporting Khalid.

On Thursday night, representatives from 17 Selangor divisions met in the official residence of the Mentri Besar where the consensus was that although Khalid had his flaws, now was not the time for him to go.

Ordinary people in Selangor were quite taken aback when the issue broke. They had no idea that elements in PKR had issues with Khalid.

He enjoys a good public image and has been fairly competent. He is a nice man, uncontroversial and as his supporters often say, at least he is clean.

They say he is trying to get rid of the Umno way of doing things by separating politics from the running of the state.

But as those in his party say, it is not a compliment to be told you are doing a better job than Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo. Anyone, they say, can do a better job than Khir. They say Khalid’s most outstanding achievement so far is issuing free water and that is not enough.

Selangor is to PKR what Penang is to DAP and Kelantan is to PAS. These are the Pakatan Rakyat exhibition states, their so-called “Pakatan Zone” and their means of showing the people that they have what it takes to do a bigger job.

Pakatan politicians are of the view that Kelantan is in cruise mode and Penang is meeting expectations. Selangor is not doing any worse or better than before.

“In sports, we call it running on the spot,” said a party insider.

The group of MPs petitioning for the replacement of Khalid has been slammed and told that they do not have the locus standi to ask Khalid to go because they are not from Selangor.

But Selangor is crucial to PKR and Pakatan’s quest to capture Putrajaya. Selangor is Pakatan’s frontline state. It has to shine and sparkle in order for Pakatan to break through to the next level.

As such, said the disgruntled MPs, they have the right to question how Khalid is managing Selangor.

Pakatan will not lose Selangor even if Khalid continues in his current I-know-best style. But neither will the coalition advance to Putrajaya.

“The question is whether we are here just to retain our market share of the seats or to take Putrajaya. DAP and PAS will go on whether or not we win Putrajaya, the next general election is not a zero sum game for them. But for PKR, it is a zero sum game. We win the Federal Government or we are finished,” said the political insider.

If Khalid survives, he will not be able to continue in his I-know-best style. A hint of what may follow from the retreat lies in the interview that Nurul Izzah gave to a Pakatan-friendly news portal.

She has called for a development masterplan for Selangor drawn up with input from party leaders and which the mentri besar and his team will implement according to a time frame. The aim of the plan is to make Selangor a model PKR state. Khalid will no longer be allowed to act on his personal belief but according to a defined blueprint.

In the meantime, Khalid’s long week in politics will continue today.