A group of grassroots PKR leaders have called on the party to take disciplinary action against Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim for insisting on staying on as the state's chief executive officer.

"His recent actions clearly undermine the stance and decision of the PKR leadership council and the leadership of Pakatan Rakyat (to replace him).

"Therefore, we, who represent the grassroots, urge the party and top leadership to take disciplinary action against him," reads a joint statement by five PKR division leaders.

The five are - Mohd Yahya Mat Sahri (Tanjung Karang), Talip Bujang (Sabak Bernam), Mohamad Fauzi Ahmad (Sungai Besar), Burhan Aman Shah (Sepang) and Azizi Ayob (Kapar).

The five also pledged their support for PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who was on July 21 nominated by the party to replace Khalid.

Meanwhile, PKR-linked think-tank Political Studies for Change (KPRU) said PKR was acting responsibly by proposing to replace Khalid.

This is because Khalid has turned ineffective and is not a team player. Thus the party's actions cannot be faulted, KPRU said.
 
It argued that under Malaysia's democratic system, ruling political parties have the full prerogative to replace the menteri besar of a state, as they are voted in to rule as a party.
 
This is different from the presidential election system of the United States, for example, which is a contest to look for the best person to lead the country.
 
"PKR holds the right to suggest a change of the chief executive of Selangor with a more suitable candidate and at the same time, a leader that is rejected by his own party should not cling on to his position," a KPRU founding director, Ooi Heng, said in a statement published on its website today.
 
It was written in response to the recent impasse in Selangor, where PKR leaders had decided on July 22 that Khalid should be replaced by Wan Azizah (right).

However, the leaders of Pakatan partner PAS publicly damned the move last week, sparking fears that Selangor government may have to go for a state election to seek a new mandate. 
 
Final say

Under the Westminster parliamentary system that Malaysia inherited from the British, the political party that wins elections has the final say on its leadership line-up, KPRU's Ooi noted.
 
This means that a change in leadership in mid-term is allowed and whether the said new leader is viewed positively or negatively is irrelevant.
 
KPRU cited that this was also the case when the ruling Australian Labour Party replaced the country's prime minister Kevin Rudd with Julia Gillard midway in 2010.

Rudd (left) initially protested the changeover bid by his party members, but then relented. 
 
"This showed political maturity - a maturity based on an understanding of the operation and functions of a parliamentary system and the associated political party system," Ooi said.
 
He questioned whether, amidst the much ado over PKR's plan to replace Khalid as menteri besar, Malaysian politicians could also show similar political maturity, which would also promote a key tenet of Pakatan's fight to be different from BN.
 
Ooi also drew parallels between Khalid and Australia's Rudd, as both are supposedly strong leaders who had fallen out of favour with their teammates.
 
He cited open disputes over the Kidex highway, water crisis and Bible raid issues as indications that Khalid didn't trust his own executive councillors and wanted a monopoly on power, disregarding alternative views.
 
"There is no more time to waste by blindly ignoring the problems that have arisen under the administration of Khalid. A a solution has to be found and implemented as soon as possible," Ooi said.