A resolution to the protracted Selangor crisis continues to remain elusive, with the palace now dismissing the argument that sending a single name for the menteri besar post is a convention practised from the time of independence.

The palace also took a swipe at Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim for making statements that  it said are wrong and confusing to the people.

"If he does not have the facts, then Anwar is advised not to make statements that are misleading and can taint the ruler's image," the sultan's private secretary Mohamad Munir Bani said in a statement today.

However, the palace did not respond to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who said that during his tenure, he only sent a single name and the rulers never objected.

Later today, Anwar issued a statement saying, “I merely wanted to state what had happened within my knowledge especially while I was in the Umno-BN government between 1982 and 1998.

 

“If I had erred, I wish to apologise to his highness the sultan of Selangor.”

 

Despite the Selangor sultan requesting for more names, PKR insisted on nominating only Anwar’s wife and party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for the post of Selangor menteri besar, and this has been supported by DAP.

This led the ruler to admonish the two parties for being insolent and defiant. Both PKR and DAP apologised but the stalemate over the single name remained.

PKR has also submitted a request for an audience with the sultan to explain its stand.

The issue has also strained ties between PAS and its Pakatan Rakyat allies.

BN sent more names as well

Munir claimed that when BN was in power, the prime minister would present suitable names to the sultan for the menteri besar post.

"The sultan will then choose only one person from the list of names," he said.

He claimed that after 2008, when the state fell to Pakatan, the sultan had asked the coalition parties' respective leaders to discuss names for the menteri besar post.

"The sultan, through his private secretary, had written a letter to the respective party leaders to submit two names for the post.

"The party leaders then unanimously agreed to nominate Abdul Khalid Ibrahim," he said.

Acknowledging that Wan Azizah had said during the 13th general election that Khalid would not necessarily remain as menteri besar, Munir said the sultan then asked the coalition's leaders to submit four names for the menteri besar post.

"They (top party leaders) had written to the sultan recommending that Khalid be appointed as menteri besar.

"Although the sultan had received other names, but because Khalid had a good relationship with the palace and the rakyat, the sultan consented for him to be re-appointed," Munir added in the statement.

After the last general election, it is learnt that Selangor PKR had submitted other names, apart from Khalid, to the palace.

Related stories

New Selangor MB to be sworn in next Tuesday

All signs point to Azmin as next MB

PAS No 2 insists party will reject S'gor MB post

S'gor crisis all Anwar's fault, survey finds