PETALING JAYA, Aug 12 — Five of the six Selangor state executive councillors who were sacked by Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim today vowed to continue work tomorrow, insisting the move by the beleaguered mentri besar was illegal and illegitimate.

The excos said that since they were appointed as members of the state executive council by the Selangor Sultan, only the ruler could sack them.

They claimed that Khalid never left his office today, and as such, alleged that he never got the ruler’s consent for their termination.

“Khalid did not give us the real picture, he has yet to meet the Selangor Sultan, so the sacking was illegal under the law,” said DAP’s Datuk Teng Chang Khim in an emergency press conference at PKR’s headquarters here.

“In the aspect of democracy, the Selangor government is a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government. Therefore, since Khalid was sacked as a PR member by his party, he has no legitimacy to sack members of the PR government.”

Despite that, they said they will not attend the exco meeting tomorrow as a sign of protest.

Apart from Teng, tonight’s press conference was also attended by PKR’s Elizabeth Wong and Dr Daroyah Alwi; and DAP’s Ean Yong Hian Wah and V. Ganabatirau.

PKR’s Rodziah Ismail, who was also sacked, did not attend as she was abroad.

Khalid said earlier today he has sacked all six state executive councillors from PKR and DAP, purportedly for refusing to cooperate with him as Selangor mentri besar.

He said the Selangor Sultan has given his consent on the matter, and that official letters have been sent to five out of six state executive councillors this evening.

Yesterday, Khalid challenged the six DAP and PKR exco members to resign if they no longer support his leadership, insisting the Selangor constitution allows him to run the state with only four exco members. He also asked the lawmakers to meet with him this morning to discuss the matter but the invitation was turned down.

Earlier today, PAS’s four exco members said they too will remain in office under MB Khalid until, and unless, their party decides otherwise during its leadership meeting this August 17.

DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng has since asked PAS to urge their excos to boycott tomorrow’s meeting with Khalid to show solidarity with the sacked six.

PKR’s disciplinary committee expelled Khalid from the party last week for his open defiance of the party’s decision that he must step down to make way for PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The embattled mentri besar’s sacking leaves PR in a precarious state in Selangor, and adds to worries that snap polls may have to be called to ward off a stalemate.

Without Khalid, PKR’s share of the 56-seat Selangor state assembly drops to 13 from 14 while allies DAP and PAS have 15 seats each. Umno, the opposition in the state, holds 12.