S'gor MB: Badrul's allocations were not stopped

Selangor menteri besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim today brushed aside allegations that the state government had stopped former PKR Port Klang assemblyperson Badrul Hisham Abdullah's allocations.

What actually happened was that the allocations were 'controlled' he said, in clarifying the issue when speaking to reporters in Shah Alam today.

"The state government wanted to know his programmes for the constituency before he applied for any claims.

"But if he conducted programmes in his own house, of course we wouldn't pay because his house had nothing to do with the people," said Khalid (right).

On whether Badrul had made such claims, the menteri besar replied: "We just did not entertain any claims for any programme conducted in his home.

"If he sulked (merajuk) because of that, then let him sulk. We still would not give him the money," he said.

Yesterday, Badrul had announced that he was quitting PKR to become a BN-friendly Independent state assemblyperson, citing among others his dissatisfaction over the PKR-led state government stemming his flow of state allocations.

His decision came hours after Khalid recommended to the party bosses that Badrul be forced to resign as an elected representative for under-performaning

'It is a lesson for me'

Khalid, however, wanted to be see the positive side of the picture, saying that this episode should be "a lesson for me for the future".

Therefore, he suggested that the party be more strict in selecting candidates to for elections.

"So that the candidates will have the endurance to struggle for the party and philosophy," he said.

On the same note, Khalid also was not surprised with Badrul's decision to quit the party although many people, including Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak (left) said it was not Khalid's prerogative to instruct Badrul to resign.

However, Khalid's rebutal was the reason for asking Badrul to resign was "he had already made a promise to the people he would serve them".

"(When you don't fulfill the promise), then might as well resign. That is why I take a very simple attitude, which maybe not politically clever.

"But, we in Pakatan should be transparent and forthright because we accept our role to make sure the people are taken care of," he said.

Khalid also seemed calm with Badrul's resignation as this he said, would not affect the party as a whole.

He said: "When one person leaves the party noisily, many more join us in silence."