Khalid Ibrahim: Kajang Move brought shame, cracked Pakatan

Khalid leaving the courts on Aug 14

PETALING JAYA: The Kajang Move was not only a failure, it brought shame and caused cracks in Pakatan Rakyat, said former Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.

Khalid said what had taken place was a big blow to him and his team at the Mentri Besar’s office as the staff had always primed on the values of responsibility, transparency and skilled management during his time as the state leader.

“We were disappointed because we were defeated by allegations eventhough we had worked for six years to bring reformation in the administration.

“The Kajang Move shamed me but what is more shameful is that the immoral political strategy caused cracks in the cooperation between parties in Pakatan Rakyat due to the political rhetoric and hypocrite attitudes,” Khalid, who was PKR treasurer before he was sacked in August last year, said in his Facebook page on Sunday.

He was commenting on the statement by PKR election director Datuk Saifuddin Nasution who admitted that slanderous allegations in a document attached to a letter he signed during the height of the Selangor Mentri Besar crisis had affected the good name and reputation of Khalid.

On Friday, Saifuddin read out a statement as part of the settlement in a defamation suit brought by Khalid. 

Saifuddin agreed that the letter dated Aug 4, titled “Nomination of YB Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as Selangor Mentri Besar”, was not meant to be used as absolute proof to implicate Khalid of any misconduct or corrupt act.

Among others, he agreed that it had portrayed Khalid as corrupt, cruel, untrustworthy, unethical, without integrity and not fit to be Mentri Besar.

“We express our regrets as well as genuinely and sincerely apologise to Khalid without any condition,” the letter said. Saifuddin gave an undertaking that PKR would not repeat the allegations.

Khalid said due to Kajang Move, PAS, a party with "strong grassroots and always in full force during elections," was cast aside and ripped apart and its leaders shamed.

“This devastating political game affected the people in Selangor where important issues like the water restructuring exercise, which has yet to be implemented smoothly, garbage problems and the direction of the  administration were ignored,” he said.

As a parliamentarian and assemblyman, Khalid said he wanted to work hard on creating a political situation that will benefit the people. 

“Since my dignity has been restored by PKR’s apology, it is proven that every allegation thrown against me was false. Now I can concentrate on efforts to create a good political environment for the people,” he said.

Khalid said as a Muslim, he accepted the apology from PKR and Saifuddin. In the spirit of Syawal, he added, he would like to apologise if he had offended any party, including Saifuddin.

PKR had initiated Kajang move to replace Khalid with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the mentri besar after the "resignation" of Kajang assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh.

The plan derailed after Anwar was disqualified to stand as a contestant following his five-year jail sentence for sodomy.

Anwar's wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, stood and won the state seat and was picked to replace Khalid. However, Khalid did not want to vacate and was later sacked from the party.