DAP national adviser Lim Kit Siang has warned of a campaign to get Pakatan Rakyat representatives to defect following Umno's backing of Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Lim said this is based on the scenario where a coalition of 12 Selangor Umno assemblypersons, 15 PAS assemblypersons and Khalid would already comprise exactly half of the 56-member House.

“Umno and BN strategists are working overtime to exploit the Selangor mentri besar crisis, working on the scenario... and a high-powered campaign to undermine the loyalty of DAP and PKR state assembly representatives to betray the Selangor voters and their respective parties,” Lim said in a statement this evening.

As such, he added, the next 24 hours are critical and PAS' scheduled central committee meeting on Aug 17 to decide on the crisis would be upstaged by these efforts.

He warned if BN's efforts were to succeed, it will seal Pakatan Rakyat's irretrievable break up.

"The break-up of Pakatan Rakyat will cause consternation and even despair among Malaysians over the betrayal of their high hopes that change has finally come to Malaysia...," he said.

Lim said the situation is made worse by certain quarters advocating for an Umno-PAS government.

"This campaign gains strength with the open support in some quarters for a Umno-PAS unity government although couched under another terminology like 'national consensus'," he said.

The term " national consensus " government in Selangor was today raised by PAS Research Centre chief operating officer Zuhdi Marzuki.

Zuhdi, who had previously courted controversy for his proposal to have PAS join forces with Umno, suggested today that BN should be included in the Selangor government.

In light of this, Lim urged swift action on behalf of Pakatan leaders for the survival of the federal opposition coalition.

"Pakatan Rakyat leaders must act promptly and decisively and not be blind-sided by the pace of developments in the Selangor menteri besar crisis when time is of the essence...," he said.

DAP and PKR, which together have 28 state assemblypersons, half of the state assembly members, have agreed to replace Khalid, but PAS has insisted on backing the embattled leader.

With Umno's support for Khalid, this has effectively split the pro-Khalid and anti-Khalid group down the middle, with exactly 28 votes each.

Selangor crisis today

12.37pm: PAS man Zuhdi Marzuki urges a a ' unity government ' in Selangor, involving Umno reps

2.19pm: DAP urges PAS to declare if it is joining Umno to support Abdul Khalid Ibrahim as MB

2.28pm: MACC confirms that it is investigating Khalid for corruption

4.25pm: DAP and PKR exco members says they will continue doing their jobs but will avoid MB

5pm: Sources say Anwar Ibrahim failed to convince Hadi Awang to accept Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as new Selangor MB

 

5.24pm: Palace confirms the Selangor sultan declines Wan Azizah's request for an audience

5.37pm: DAP claims that there are attempts to entice Pakatan reps to defect

 

6.40pm: Khalid sacks all six DAP and PKR exco members

8pm: Expert says MB has no power to sack exco

9.57pm : DAP and PKR urges PAS to boycott the exco in solidarity

10.21pm : The six sacked exco members vow to defy the sacking and go to work as usual.

10.30pm : PAS' Hulu Langat assemblyperson Saari Sungib urges PAS to join DAP and PKR against Khalid.