Amirudin's MB position still not a done deal as Selangor PH gets more time to consider 'other names'

Amirudin Shari's return to the Selangor menteri besar post is still not a done deal, with Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders engaged in a series of negotiations on the state's top post despite an announcement by Anwar Ibrahim to reappoint the Sungai Tua assemblymen for a second term, MalaysiaNow has learnt.

At least two sources close to Selangor PKR leaders involved with discussions in the aftermath of the recent state polls said the PH chairman's assurance to Amirudin was still not a guarantee.

"It is more complicated than that. The post-election climate is not the same as the campaign period," a PKR man close to senior party officials told MalaysiaNow.

It is understood that the swearing-in ceremony for the menteri besar may not take place until Friday, allowing PH leaders more time to come to an agreement on names to be submitted to the Selangor palace.

This is because Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who is recovering from prostate surgery in London, will only be back today.

In the past, the state palace had requested more than one name for the sultan to consider.

But another source close to the small clique in PKR aligned with Amirudin said he was still holding on to Anwar's promise, adding that he was also confident that he would be the sole candidate.

A PKR source, however, dismissed this, saying there have been several names thrown in amid "intense lobbying" for the menteri besar's office.

The source also added that with PKR having won less than DAP, it has no choice but to involve the coalition partner in discussions on the post.

DAP won all 15 seats it contested in Selangor, while PKR won 12 and Amanah won 5.

"DAP's dominant presence means Amirudin may have to do more to convince partners why he should return to the post," said the source.

It said those who are not keen on Amirudin continuing as menteri besar cited his failure to stem the tide of support for Perikatan Nasional, which saw PH's share of seats reduced to 32 from 51 in 2018.

Critics of Amirudin in the ruling bloc have also attempted to paint him as inefficient, citing his poor management of several local issues, such as residents' protests over slope developments in several areas, including Bukit Antarabangsa, as well as "unnecessary bad publicity" to the state government over an approval given to a businessman to convert a public space into a mini-zoo in Taman Selayang Indah, which is part of his Sungai Tua constituency.

Meanwhile, a well-informed source told MalaysiaNow that among the "other names" being considered is Fahmi Ngah, the state economic adviser who won the Seri Setia seat in the recent polls.

As the wait for a menteri besar continues, former DAP MP Wee Choo Keong said the party deserves to nominate its own candidate due to its stellar performance in the recent polls.

Wee, who had served as MP for both DAP and PKR, said there is nothing wrong for DAP to put forward the name of its sole Malay assemblyman, Jamaliah Jamaluddin.

"Let her become the first woman MB, not only for Selangor but also for Malaysia. She won genuinely and not through Langkah Kajang!" Wee wrote on Twitter, referring to the failed plan by PKR in 2014 to replace then-menteri besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim with Anwar's wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The Kajang Move saw the PKR incumbent in Kajang vacating his seat to allow Wan Azizah to contest, with a view to installing her as menteri besar. The plan collapsed after the Selangor ruler refused her candidacy.