Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari has dismissed speculation that Umno Supreme Council member Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz will take over his position.
He said that he recently had a friendly exchange with Tengku Zafrul before the latter departed for Mecca.
"He asked if I had any doa (prayers) to send with him. I told him, ‘Pray that I remain in Selangor’,” Amirudin recounted during the Karnival Ceria Selangor at Dataran Ilmu, Selayang.
Amirudin, who is also the Selangor PKR chairman, said the speculation was far-fetched due to the complexity of the processes involved within a short timeframe.
"In my view, it’s a rather long and complicated story. I don’t think that the route of Tengku Zafrul contesting for the Mentri Besar post is feasible because it would require a by-election," he said.
"We only have about two and a half years left in this term, so there’s not much that can be reorganised within that time frame. We’ll have to wait and see how things develop,” added Amirudin.
He added that there has been no discussion or instruction from party leadership regarding any move for him to transition to the federal level.
"I don’t believe we’ll be holding a by-election just to seek a new mandate and change the Mentri Besar in the final two years of the term," said Amirudin.
"We still have two years to go, and there are many other priorities that require our attention. Right now, our focus is on the upcoming Sabah state election and on strengthening the unity government," he added.
