The 24-member Selangor Backbenchers Club today pledged their loyalty to Pakatan Rakyat and threw its support behind Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim.

At the press conference in the Selangor State Secretariat annexe building this morning, the state assemblypersons condemned the actions of the three MPs - Zahrain Hashim (Bayan Baru), Tan Tee Beng (Nibong Tebal) and Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri, who defected from PKR recently.

NONE In the statement read by Selangor BBC deputy chairperson Abdul Rani Osman ( left ), the club said the actions of the three former PKR MPs as betraying the mandate of the people and as a part of a Barisan Nasional 'conspiracy' to destroy Pakatan.

They believed that the three parliamentarians are motivated by monetary gains.

When pressed for proof behind this accusation, Rani said, not everything can be proven as when former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad accused George Soros of being a financial criminal.

However, as Kampung Tunku assemblyperson Lau Weng San opined, the rakyat will judge them.

Only eight of the 24 Selangor BBC members were present at the press conference today. Lau's explained their absence by saying scheduling conflicts prevented the rest from attending.

Those in attendance were Rani, Lau and assemblypersons Gan Pei Nei (Rawang) Edward Lee (Bukit Gasing), Saari Sungib (Hulu Kelang), Mohd Nasir Hashim (Kota Damansara), Ng Suee Lin (Sekinchan) and Philip Tan (Teluk Datok).

NONE This joint declaration of loyalty comes hot in the heels of 40 state representatives from Penang who made a similar declaration yesterday.

Separately, PAS, DAP and PKR parliamentarians have also pledged their loyalty to opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan.

The spate of declarations of loyalty, is a reaction to the string of defections, while not totally unexpected, has caused PKR to start closing barn doors all over its controlled states.

'Give thanks for defections'

Meanwhile, Sekinchan assemblyperson Ng lightheartedly proposed that they hold a majlis kesyukuran or thanksgiving ceremony to praise God since the 'bad hats' had left Pakatan.

This was greeted by the laughter of the assemblypersons and reporters present.

On a more serious note, when asked about former PKR secretary Salehuddin Hashim's accusation that the current line-up of the party is no longer fighting for reformasi , Gan repled:

"It is their commitment to reformasi that should be questioned. Those who left the party rather than we who are staunchly with it."

At the meeting, it was also announced that Pakatan Rakyat will hold a convention this Sunday at the Jubli Perak Hall Shah Alam.

Rani said all Selangor Pakatan elected representatives and the central Pakatan leadership will be there to discuss the future of the state administration.

Saari added the convention is also to impress upon the elected representatives of their duty and loyalty which is not only to the party but also to the people.