PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has confirmed that party leaders have agreed to a "smooth transition" in the Selangor menteri besar post.

As reported by Malaysiakini earlier, Anwar strongly hinted that the new menteri besar will be his wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

However, he said he was not revealing the final choice yet as the Pakatan Rakyat council has yet to meet over the matter.

Wan Azizah is slated to replaced current MB Abdul Khalid Ibrahim who is in his second term in Selangor but who has faced countless criticisms over his management of the state.

This ranges from water resource management to non-consultation with the people on the state's mega projects like the highly criticised Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) highway.

Anwar said the Pakatan Rakyat secretariat have been informed of the decision although the council of leaders will only meet next week.

"PKR's political bureau and the party's leaders in the central committee have come to a consensus on a smooth power transition in Selangor, and agreed this should be discussed properly with Khalid," he said when met at Guar Perahu today.

'MB post not exclusive'

The opposition leader said the matter has been conveyed to Khalid, and that the latter had been aware of his fate since the 'Kajang Move' in March.

Wan Azizah won the Kajang by-election after Anwar was unable to contest the seat after he was sentenced to five years jail for sodomy, pending his appeal at the Federal Court.

"People are asking why now (removing Khalid), but the Kajang Move was essentially about this transition of power, to uplift Selangor as a modern state," Anwar said.

Khalid had insisted he would remain as MB until the end this term when the 14th general election, not expected until 2018, comes along.

Anwar however responded to this by saying that the Selangor MB's post does not belong to any individual.

On  PKR deputy president Azmin Ali's chances of becoming the menteri besar, although the latter has served the party since its formation in 1999, Anwar said all leaders have a role to play in the party.

"Besides, the decision to appoint a new MB is based on party consensus," he quipped.

On the exact date the Pakatan council of leaders will meet to seal the matter, Anwar said he would have to confirm the date with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, who is presently unwell and does not travel much these days.

"The date we wanted to meet clashes with the emergency parliament sitting on MH17 called by Prime Minister Najib Razak," he added.

'No 'yes' men'

Asked about charges of nepotism if Wan Azizah assumes the menteri besar post, Anwar merely said such criticisms have long existed and he has to constantly face them.

On claims by party insiders that leaders are mostly 'yes' men and are not likely to oppose Anwar's proposal of the new MB, including those from Azmin's camp, Anwar replied, "In the past, many have said no to me and left the party."

"But many have also said no and stayed. If there (are only 'yes' men), how come there is a three-way fight for deputy president?" he asked.

Azmin is contesting the deputy president post against Khalid and the party's incumbent secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, but is currently leading the race.

Anwar said, "This is the party's consensus and choice, after all she (Azizah) is president."

"I accept the decision of the party whoever it votes, whether the deputy president, vice-presidents, youth or women leaders," he added.

"The battle had been fierce but finally it is their decision," he stressed, referring to PKR's second direct internal polls that had been tarnished by a series of controversies including allegations of vote rigging, fraud and violence.

As a result of these, the party's election committee headed by Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul had suspended and sacked several members.