Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali first task as MB – selecting the executive council (exco) line up – is proving to be a headache, with interested parties jostling for a post.
 
The prolonged MB crisis had strained relationships within Pakatan Rakyat, especially with PAS whose four representatives in the state cabinet refused to resign in solidarity with their PKR and DAP colleagues who were sacked by then MB Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.
 
Apart from mending ties with PAS, Azmin is now under pressure to balance the interests of his own party, PKR, which was not in favour of him becoming MB.
 
A PKR leader told Malaysiakini that there were plenty of "suggestions and opinions" given to Azmin in last night's political bureau meeting.
 
Prime among those is the suggestion that Azmin appoint exco members who are not seen to have sided him in the MB crisis so that his administration will be viewed as balanced.

Among the names being mentioned is PKR Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (right) and Rawang assemblyperson Gan Pei Nei.

If Nik Nazmi is selected, he would have to give up his post as deputy speaker of the state legislative assembly.
 
When contacted, Gan said that she had yet to receive any official notification from the party.
 
"That same team is asking that two exco members who had been appointed twice before, Elizabeth Wong and Rodziah Ismail, give way to a new faces," said the PKR leader who refused to be named.

Zuraida calls for PAS punishement
 
At the same time, Malaysiakini understands that another camp in PKR is lobbying for Azmin's loyalists Amiruddin Shaari (Batu Caves) and Shuhaimi Shafie (Sri Muda) be given exco posts.
 
Yaakob Sapari (Kota Anggerik) and Dr Xavier Jeyakumar (Sri Andalas) are also reportedly interested in the job.
 
A coalition of Indian associations (Gamia) today demanded that there be an Indian exco from PKR. Xavier is the only ethnic Indian PKR assemblyperson, while DAP has two - V Ganabatirau (Kota Alam Shah) and Rajiv Rishyakaran (Bukit Gasing).

Xavier (left) served on the exco during Khalid's first term as MB.
 
PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim today said that PKR will respect Azmin's right to choose his own team.
 
"We have to respect that as it is the MB's jurisdiction. We have to give him confidence and trust to negotiate with the two other parties and it is also up to the sultan's consent," he said when met at the PKR headquarters in Tropicana today.
 
The way the crisis had panned out had left some in PKR and DAP feeling "betrayed" by PAS' conduct and thus want to "punish" the Islamic party for not backing their prime candidate, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
 
PKR Selangor deputy chairperson Zuraida Kamaruddin (below), who is closely aligned to Azmin, has openly asked that the previous combination of four PAS reps and three each from DAP and PKR be changed as PAS did not support efforts to replace Abdul Khalid as MB.
 
"In my personal opinion, the seat allocation for exco members should be reviewed. Because PAS did not support our efforts, I think they should only be given consolation seats.

"If PAS had supported our MB candidate, this would not be necessary," she said.

DAP likely to retain line-up
 
Selangor PAS, meanwhile, is inclined to hold on to its four excos, who much to the chagrin of their Pakatan partners stayed with the Abdul Khalid administration until his last day in office on Monday.
 
"Selangor PAS will have a meeting today and will have a brief meeting with the MB," said a Selangor PAS leader who requested anonymity.
 
PAS' official statement is expected to be issued either late today or early tomorrow.
 
DAP is also reported as demanding one extra exco seat from PAS for similar reasons.
 
Two DAP leaders, who refused to be named, told Malaysiakini that the party's exco line-up will most probably be maintained.
 
When asked about PAS giving up a seat in the line-up, one of DAP leader said: "It will be very welcome but I'll very surprised."
 
However, once again, the role of the Selangor sultan in the selection of exco will play a major role.
 
Last year, the appointment of exco members was delayed after the palace reportedly refused to ratify the appointment of one PKR representative, who had been in the line-up since 2008.
 
It is understood that Azmin wants to solve the whole issue amicably so that he could kick off his administration on the right footing.
 
He had announced his intention to meet the sultan tomorrow to submit a list of names and expects the new exco line-up to be sworn in on Friday.
 
If the Pakatan Rakyat partners once again struggle to come to a consensus, Selangor will have to wait a little while longer to have a fully-functional state government.


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