Constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari said the Selangor menteri besar imbroglio is different from the Perlis and Terengganu MB crisis in 2008.

He opined that the Raja Perlis and Terengganu sultan had the right not to accept then Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's proposal and appoint a MB chosen by the palaces.

Aziz said Umno was then facing a crisis as it lost two-third majority in Parliament and five states to Pakatan Rakyat, which required action from the rulers.

"I give the `benefit of a doubt' to the Terengganu sultan and Raja Perlis. Although this is not following the constitution,” he told a forum organised by the PAS-linked NGO Perpaduan Ummah Sejahtera Malaysia (PasMa) last night.

According to Aziz, the Raja Perlis met with the assemblypersons who supported Md Isa Sabu, who was not Umno's first choice, and the ruler was confident that Md Isa had majority support.

In Terengganu, he said the sultan had his own reasons not to accept Idris Jusoh and chose Ahmad Said as MB.

"In Selangor, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has the majority support. There are 30 statutory declarations and this is beyond reasonable doubt," he said.

Aziz is of the opinion that current Selangor menteri besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim cannot be appointed again as the latter does not have majority support.

"Khalid cannot be appointed as he does not have the support of the majority. He can be appointed after the state election if he forms a new political party and obtains majority support. In the present scenario, Khalid cannot administer the state," he emphasised.

Khalid has no mandate to ink agreement

The constitutional expert also said Khalid has no power to represent the state in signing the main water agreement with the federal government last week to take over water services.

"I cannot classify what type of government we have in the Selangor state right now.

"It is not a caretaker government, but this is an illegitimate government. Now we see some things are being hurried and one of it is the water deal," he added.

Last Friday, Khalid witnessed the signing of the agreement along with Minister for Energy, Green Technology and Water, Maximus Ongkili, who appeared for the federal government.

  

Khalid's action was criticised by various quarters including Klang MP Charles Santiago, who described it as illegal.