Former Selangor menteri besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has insisted that the alleged huge payouts to his former aides after a change in the state government “followed all procedures”.

Khalid described the payment as a “voluntary separation mechanism” offered to his staff after he was replaced by new Menteri Besar Azmin Ali, according to a report in The Star today.

“I followed all procedures, they can be audited,” he was quoted as saying.

However, Khalid said he is unaware of the exact quantum paid to his former aides, which PKR vice-president Xavier Jeyakumar claimed came up to a whopping RM2.5 million.

“If the calculations is correct, then it’s correct, but I don’t think so,” he was quoted as saying.

But the Bandar Tun Razak MP was also quoted as saying that the payout amounted to “no more than two percent” of the RM112 million of the Menteri Besar Incorporated’s (MBI) cash reserves, which approximates the speculated amount at RM2.24 million.

He added that the state exco, which at that time comprised of only four PAS state assemblypersons after DAP and PKR representatives were sacked, was informed of the decision.

“It was presented to the exco. It was not a decision by the exco but we informed them about it,” he was quoted as saying.

On Friday, Xavier, who is also Sri Andalas state assemblyperson, claimed the Selangor government has instructed MBI to recover RM2.5 million in payments to Khalid’s former aides.

However, Azmin, when quizzed about this, was coy about the matter, merely asking for time to “get details first”.

Selangor PAS commissioner Iskandar Abdul Samad, who was among the four exco members under Khalid’s final days as menteri besar, declined to comment when asked if he was aware of the huge payouts, according to the report.

However, he stressed that whatever decision made then cannot be implemented until the minutes are approved by the new Menteri Besar, Azmin.