Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim has defended Pakatan Rakyat's use of state government machinery ahead of campaigning for the Hulu Selangor by-election.

Pakatan is only following in the footsteps of Barisan Nasional, he told journalists after the opening of the state legislative assembly sitting today.

"This is how BN has been doing things, and my experience in campaigning for (the state seat of) Ijok was the same," he said.

NONE Khalid also justified the holding of state exco meetings in Hulu Selangor - instead of Shah Alam - saying this is to ensure the readiness of the parliamentary constituency to support the influx of people heading there up to the by-election on April 25.

"We decided that, since many agencies will go to Hulu Selangor, we will go there to make sure that everything is ready," he said.

The Selangor government, he said, is ready to disburse the RM450,000-500,000 allocated to each state constituency regardless of the political party of its representative.

However, he noted, the onus is on BN-headed governments to set an example by doing the same where seats are held by opposition representatives.

Currently the allocation for opposition-held constituencies is channeled through BN representatives.

"I am the Bandar Tun Razak MP but the RM1 million (allocation) is given to the Umno representative in the area.,” he said.

"If the federal government announces that it will channel the funds to all MPs regardless of their party, then the Selangor government will follow suit the very next day.”

‘Chua is wrong’

On another matter, Khalid slammed newly-minted MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek for accusing the Selangor government of not supporting Chinese vernacular schools.

Khalid said his government has provided financial assistance for all schools, including Chinese schools, despite this being the federal government's responsibility.

"The only power the state has is in providing land for schools. Funding and the location are still decided by the Education Ministry, so Chua should take up the matter (of school expansion) with the minister.  

"How many schools have been approved by the federal government but have not gotten the support of the state?"