Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak wants the people in Selangor to gauge the political developments in the state rationally.

Najib, who is also BN chairperson, said nepotism openly occurred in Selangor where a fit elected representative was asked to resign and be replaced by one's own wife.

A by-election was earlier held and after that, the wife was chosen as candidate for the menteri besar post.
    
"Just imagine, if in BN we make our own wife as menteri besar, we will be accused of open nepotism. But this is happening in Selangor.

"It is up to the people in Selangor to think of what is good and appropriate to be done, based on wisdom and rationale, and this consideration will save the state and country as a whole.

"Consideration with a motive like 'ada udang galah disebalik batu (there's a giant prawn behind the rock - meaning, the existence of an ulterior motive) will only bring losses to the people," Najib said.

He was speaking at a Selangor Umno Aidilfitri celebration attended by more than 10,000 people at Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) in Dengkil last night.

Najib said the federal government expressed its appreciation for Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, who agreed to sign the agreement for the implementation of the Air Langat Water Treatment Plant 2 (Langat 2) project to ensure sufficient water supply for the people in Selangor and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
    
He said although the agreement should have been signed three years ago,politics was above Khalid's rational consideration at the time.

"The Selangor menteri besar has realised that the federal government's decision on the project was right after all as without Langat 2, there is no guarantee of adequate water supply (for the three areas)," he added.

Najib also touched on the MH17 tragedy, saying there were lessons learned from the tragedy as Malaysians were united in sadness and grief when they observed one minute of silence last Friday in honour of the crash victims.
    
"This was a very unique and special situation when we managed to forget our quarrels and different political ideologies and regardless of our race and religion, we as Malaysians shared the sadness and sympathy.

"This showed that in such a testing time, Malaysians could unite and there were no hurdles they could not overcome," he said.
    
Earlier, Najib and the other attendees of the Raya celebration also observed a minute of silence in honour of the victims of the MH17 crash which occurred on July 17 when the Malaysia Airlines plane was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, as well as for the passengers and crew of MH370 which went missing on March 8.

- Bernama


Selangor crisis today

9.47am: Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak accuses PKR of 'open nepotism' for nominating Dr Wan Azizah Ismail as MB.

12.59pm: PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali says the party will not nominate its own candidates, but will submit at least two names from PKR.

1pm: PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim says Wan Azizah chosen not because she is his wife but because she is PKR president.

1.33pm: Legal expert Abdul Aziz Bari says that sultan has no power to ask for more than one MB candidate.

2.45pm: MB Khalid Ibrahim denies PKR's and DAP's assertion that they had only nominated him in 2013, although the palace asked for four names.

4pm: With rife speculation of Pakatan break up, PAS MP Khalid Samad says those in PAS who don’t believe in Pakatan can leave the party.

4.35pm: Anwar refutes Khalid’s claim that more than one name was submitted in 2013.

5.45pm: DAP reveals that in 2013, it was Khalid's office who drafted the letter to the palace for Pakatan parties, who nominated only him.

6.17pm: The palace sends letters to Pakatan parties, telling them to submit more than two names each by Sep 3.