Saturday May 11, 2013

GE13: ‘Anwar told me to prepare to take over from Khalid in 2008’

PETALING JAYA: PKR deputy president Azmin Ali claimed that he was offered the Selangor mentri besar's post in 2008 during the Permatang Pauh by-election.

“Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim asked me to prepare to take over from Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as the party was unhappy with his performance in helming Selangor.

“There were complaints by civil servants and the business community on bureaucracy and that the administration was not reformist in nature.

“I refused the offer as it could cause instability to the party.

“Instead, I proposed that Anwar be appointed as Selangor's economic adviser to ensure the smooth administration of the state,” he said at a press conference yesterday.

Despite Khalid's high-profile corporate experience in Permodalan Nasional Berhad and Kumpulan Guthrie Berhad, it is public knowledge that Azmin has been unimpressed by his performance.

The rivalry culminated in a public spat in July 2009 when Azmin hit out at Khalid repeatedly over what he claimed was slow action in the Selangor Economic Action Council and called for a state exco reshuffle.

Both agreed to put their differences aside during the Hulu Selangor by-election in April 2010, despite rumours that Azmin was unhappy about being passed over for the campaign director's post, which eventually went to Khalid.

But things boiled over again in June 2010 when Azmin replaced Khalid as the state PKR chief, with the explanation that it was better for one man to be in charge of running the state and the other to run the party.

Then, Khalid's political secretary Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad known to be Azmin's loyalist resigned, paving the way for Faekah Husin, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail's former aide, to replace him.

Faekah became Khalid's most vociferous defender, rising to the occasion each time her boss was criticised or ridiculed by anyone, including Azmin.

Up to October 2012, Faekah had several public rows with those loyal to Azmin on a range of issues.

For more election stories, please visit The Star's GE13 site

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