A month after PKR set in motion its Kajang Move, triggered by the abrupt resignation of PKR assemblyperson Lee Chin Cheh from the state seat, the internal dispute continues to boil and bubble.

Recent developments suggest that central to the dispute is the takeover of Selangor's four water supply companies in a deal which - at the last offer - was worth more than RM9.65 billion.

Competing interests close to and within PKR appear to be lobbying the media to attack rival factions by suggesting possible backroom deals in the takeover.

Muddying the waters further is the sacking of more than 20 Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS) contract staff, which has exacerbated the rift between Selangor PKR chief Azmin Ali and Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Malaysiakini tracks the developments to date.

Anti-Anwar move

Those close to the MB's office suggest that the Kajang Move was engineered to get Khalid out of the way and to broker a sweetheart deal to take over water supply services.

While a commentary by Nathaniel Tan in Malaysiakini did not go as far, he did ask if the new MB would be able to guarantee that the offer made to the water supply companies will not exceed Khalid's final offer.

The guarantees Tan sought from the ‘new MB’ (read: PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim ) , who is contesting the Kajang by-election on March 23) betrays the suspicion that the impending change of guard could benefit the water supply companies.

To illustrate his distrust, Tan named Splash shareholder Wan Azmi Wan Hamzah - who as former protege of businessman and former Umno treasurer Daim Zainuddin and director of PKR-linked Institut Rakyat - has a foot in both sides.

“Despite all the other hubris (some propagated by yours truly), it is possible that the single biggest factor that led to KajangGate is the fact that Khalid decided to pursue using Section 114 of Water Services Industry Act 2006 to resolve this crisis,” Tan wrote.

Anwar, when asked to comment on this, rubbished the claim and questioned why Malaysiakini had published the commentary.

Anti-Khalid move

Two days after Anwar's reaction was published, an anonymous letter was sent to news portals and journalists censuring them for highlighting the issue.

It suggested that it was actually Khalid who used the water services takeover to strike a deal over his personal legal dispute with Bank Islam. This involves RM67 million and originated at a time when he was Guthrie Bhd chief executive officer.

The writer suggested that the deal was brokered by someone close to Daim (right) and that it had to do with Khalid's decision to finally work with the federal government, invoking the Water Services Industry Act.

The issue has been pursued to an extent by The Malay Mail Online . Further information on the settlement is said to be in the works.

The Kajang Move engineers, prior to Lee's resignation, had indicated to Malaysiakini that Khalid's decision to work with the federal government without consulting the party was among their top gripes with him.

However, Khalid said Anwar, as Selangor economic adviser, was aware of the decision.

He further denied being in cahoots with Daim but refused to disclose how the out-of-court settlement with Bank Islam had been brokered.

Anti-Khalid move 2.0

The anonymous letter was not the only thing to be thrown in Khalid’s path.

On Feb 15, The Star ran a front-page story quoting sources as saying that Khalid has refused to sign an agreement for him to resign from his post when the party wants him to.

Questioned about this at a press conference on Feb 6, Khalid said “there is no such thing as an agreement”.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, said to be part of the small group of Kajang Move engineers, also vehemently denied The Star report.

Anti-Azmin move

Khalid had called the press conference on Feb 6 to explain the sacking of more than 20 contract staff by PKNS. He said this was merely a corporate restructuring measure.

A report by The Malaysian Insider on Feb 5 - quoting sources from his office - claimed this was to stop PKNS from being used as a “political tool” . But the news portal later retracted the report.

Khalid denied that it was a political purge, saying instead that the contract staff were highly-paid redundant personnel hired on the recommendation of the PKNS board.

I mmediately after, Azmin (right) issued a statement to condemn Khalid for misusing state powers against rivals.

Several weeks before the Kajang Move began, Azmin himself had been removed from his post as PKNS director. A probe is in progress.

Both Khalid and Azmin will be called by the state legislative assembly's committee on competency, accountability and transparency to explain themselves at a public hearing on the matter.

However, the employment of the contract staff, which had cost PKNS about RM7 million a year, pales in comparison to the speculated tussle for the Selangor water services industry, valued at RM9.65 billion.