A string of former Selangor menteris besar is expected to play a key role in BN's campaign to recapture the state at the next general election.

Selangor BN chief Noh Omar has said that former Umno leaders Mohamad Khir Toyo, Abu Hassan Omar and Muhammad Muhammad Taib will be part of this grand strategy.

Abu Hassan, however, claimed that BN will receive help from a fourth menteri besar - Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, the PKR leader who helmed the state for six years.

Khalid's name unexpectedly popped up as Abu Hassan was telling Malaysiakini about how the former menteri besars were too old to run in the next election.

"No (we're not contesting), we are all otai-otai (veterans). The youngest is Khir, but he has things to attend to. Mat Taib (Muhammad Taib) is just a little younger than me, Khalid is younger too," the 77-year-old said in an interview on Wednesday.

Asked if Mubarak - the former elected representatives' council which Abu Hassan leads in Selangor - had approached Khalid to help BN, the former replied in the positive.

"Khalid is prepared to do so (help BN's campaign) and now we have four former menteris besar (on our side). I've discussed this with Noh, and he needs our (former menteris besar) help, so insya Allah we will help," he said.

Pressed on whether Khalid - who is now aligned with PAS - was committed to BN's cause, Abu Hassan said the question should be directed to Khalid himself.

"But on the surface, he is ready to help," he added.

However, when pressed for more information, the former Permatang assemblyperson revealed that Khalid had not directly voiced his readiness to help the BN campaign to him personally.

"This (was expressed) through some sources. There are links, not directly to me because he was my student before so he doesn't want to do it directly, but I know he has links right up to the top," Abu Hassan said.

‘Khalid to make announcement on Sunday’

When asked to respond to Abu Hassan's claims, Khalid's aide Faekah Hussin said the former menteri besar will "announce his position on GE14" this Sunday.

Khalid became menteri besar when the opposition captured Selangor in 2008. He kept the post when Pakatan Rakyat retained the state in 2013.

But a year later, Khalid's political career took a turn for the worse when some in PKR tried to replace him as Selangor menteri besar with party de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, and later, party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

He was subsequently sacked from PKR and after a month-long standoff, resigned as menteri besar. PKR deputy president Azmin Ali was eventually appointed menteri besar with support from PAS.

If BN has approached Khalid, now an independent assemblyperson, it could be to secure the support of PAS in their gambit to re-capture the state.

Asked about this possibility, Abu Hassan merely replied that each former menteri besar had their own supporters. Nevertheless, Abu Hassan is keen on the potential of an Umno-PAS alliance.

"We hope, for the sake of Malay unity and survival, because the non-Malays have a different way, we hope PAS will cooperate but it (the alliance) is not necessary to be out in the open, it can be silent," he said.

He added that avoiding three-cornered fights with PAS was a strategy that BN top leaders could explore with PAS.

As for what Mubarak's role was and how they would help BN recapture Selangor, Abu Hassan said that it was "top secret."