DAP lawmaker Ariff Sabri believes the best remedy for Selangor's menteri besar crisis is for the sultan to dissolve the state assembly to pave way for fresh elections.

"I have re-studied the political situation in Selangor, away from the din and ruckus that surround it.

"The more I think about it, the solution does lie in the hands of the sultan. He can clear this mess by dissolving the Selangor state assembly and letting the people judge what is best for them.

"(A fresh election is) not just to rearrange the political permutations but to judge other issues," Ariff added in a blog post today.

He said that if a state election is to take place, no one should decry the decision.

'An exercise in democracy'

“Even if it costs RM50 million, this is an exercise by the people in democracy. That’s just the down payment for the Tropicana land,” he said.

He rationalised that state elections will enable the people of Selangor who wish to liberate themselves from the “shadowy dealings of political parties”, to cast their votes on many things.

“Let the people speak out on (Kinrara-Damansara Expressway) Kidex, Goods and Services Tax (GST), water deals and the performance of (outgoing menteri besar) Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

“Let this be a people’s referendum on a number of issues. I am sure Umno will chicken out,” he said.

The Raub MP also noted that the Selangor menteri besar imbroglio has developed into something beyond control, and has become a constitutional issue.

"What a ruler can or cannot do is prescribed in the constitution. He has the right to appoint the MB from among those in the House, who in his judgment is likely to command the majority support," he said.

Therefore, Ariff said, he believes the ruler is right in urging more than one name for his choice, or more than two names from each Pakatan Rayat party.

"He has to make a choice from among those listed so that he can judge who among them is likely to command the confidence of the majority.

"He can do this subjectively as it falls into his judgment, or he can do an objective test - allowing his choice to be ratified in the next sitting of the assembly," he added.

Ariff said the wrong committed by parties like PKR and DAP is preventing the sultan from exercising his right to choose.

The sultan has a choice to disbelieve the person coming before him claiming he or she commands the confidence of the majority.

"Submitting one name is not giving the sultan his due right to choose - what is there to choose if there is only one name?

A corrected submission

"So PKR should by now have done a corrected submission. Put up a few names - (PKR president) Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, (deputy president Azmin Ali, (Ijok assemblyperson) Dr Idris Ahmad.

"DAP should also now do the same. It's a pity it does not have a Malay state representative," he said.

Ariff then hit out at Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for saying that DAP and PKR do not understand the state constitution.

“The practice has been to submit only one name all this while, and that is the convention.

“If the Barisan Nasional retains the federal government the next time around, please submit more than one name to allow the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to exercise his right to judge from among the House members. Demonstrate the same principle.”

On whether the actions of PKR and DAP of not submitting more than one name for the menteri besar post were treasonous or not, Ariff pointed out the letter from the ruler’s office only stated his displeasure.

“Displeasure is not the same as saying someone is treasonous,” he said.

The Selangor palace on Monday accused PKR and DAP of “insolent and defiant” acts for refusing to submit more than two names to the sultan as requested.

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