Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali has defended his move to strike at Parti Amanah Negara’s state deputy chief Saari Sungib through his Twitter account.

Azmin told reporters that he took the responsibility to defend the democratic process and the mandate given during the 13th general election.

“It is not about my choice or his (Saari’s) choice. It was a choice made by the rakyat. So we (the state government) must continue to develop Selangor.

“I hope that no party will try to make statements that can strain the current cooperation. At that time (GE13) there was no Amanah (but) there was PAS,” Azmin said when met after a forum at the State Secretariat building in Shah Alam today.

The Selangor PKR chief also said that PKR, DAP and PAS had then formed the Selangor state government, a cooperation that is still going on despite the break-up of the federal opposition pact, Pakatan Rakyat.

'No royal intervention'

Azmin also said the people should be grateful that the Selangor palace never intervened or interfered in the politics of the state.

“So do not make statements that can raise doubts or create a negative perception (towards the palace). I want all quarters to respect the people’s sentiments.

“If you look at the social media and sentiments on the ground, people demand that all political parties must go back to the drawing board and talk. Discuss national and state interests, not quarrel (among parties),” said Azmin, who is also the MP for Gombak.

Pressed for further clarification on his tweet, Azmin said: “I don’t know. Just focus on the bigger issues, like what I had explained.”

Azmin said this when asked for comments on his tweet directed at Saari, asking if he was fishing for a place on the state executive committee.

"Is Saari trying to be a beggar for a state exco post?" Azmin fired on his Twitter yesterday night.

The tweet is believed to be in response to Saari's comments at a forum earlier yesterday, asking if Azmin was playing "palace politics" to justify keeping PAS in the state government.

Saari also reportedly told Azmin that it is unproductive to continue cooperation with PAS, arguing that the Islamist party is "beyond repair”.