S'gor MB: No state polls before June 2012

Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim will not call for polls before June 2012 in order to implement policies and plans outlined in its budget for next year.

At a press conference today, Khalid dismissed suggestions that Selangor Pakatan Rakyat was not confident in winning the election.

However, should Parliament be dissolved after June next year, Khalid said Selangor is likely to follow suit.

“Budgets are part of (the) development process. Thus, I have said before that if polls are held in January, we would not take part because the budget (has just been) approved.

“But if it is held six months later, we will follow suit... We won’t shortchange the people of Selangor,” he said.

Asked if he was not confident of Pakatan retaining the state, Khalid replied: “No. We have made a covenant with the people. Confident or not, that depends on the people”.

He said Pakatan took over the state in 2008 because the people expected them to administer properly, not participate in elections.

According to the federal constitutions, polls must be called every five years and Khalid believes that calling for polls after four years was more reasonable than three years.

He said that he must ensure this administration’s budget must be implemented properly.

“Not like in 2008, where I was told that the budget for that year was spent in three months,” he said.

No interference from sultan

Khalid was also asked about his address to the Selangor state legislative assembly, where he said that there was no interference by the Selangor Sultan on legislative and administrative matters.

He told reporters later that the sultan’s constitutional role required him to have full authority on issues concerning Islamic affairs and the Malay culture.

He said that the sultan has the right to guide the state administration, including the menteri besar, on such matters, and this was explained to the state legislative assembly.

“If you are talking about interference, people on the street also make statements about our state. ‘Oh kotor (The streets are dirty)’, are you saying interfering, they have rights also... Not interfering, but being part of (the) process,” he said.

In a letter dated July 11, Sultan Sharafudin Idris Shah ordered Selangor state assemblypersons to pass a slew of amendments to expand the powers of both the sultan and Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) over Islamic affairs in the state, an unprecedented move. 

On the claim by Hasan Ali, exco member on religious affairs, that Christian groups are proselytising Muslims through eight methods, including solar-powered talking Bibles, Khalid said he has yet to read the report on the matter.

“(These are) his findings. I have not seen it yet. I must say there are people who have extra energy ensuring Muslims are well-protected and supported. I look at it positively.

“I don’t think the Christians should be worried... He is trying to say be careful because other people (are) using many devices in order for you to change your religion.

“But my reading of religion is not (something that happens overnight) and it is not (something to do with) computers. It is a state of mind and psychology,” he said.


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