KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 — The Sultan of Selangor said today he will also consider those not nominated by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) for the mentri besar’s post, in the search for a successor for the outgoing Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim

His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said he will weigh the names put forward by the three PR parties, but will not limit possible candidates to those proposed by the coalition.

“At the same time considering the power to appoint the Selangor mentri besar is to the Sultan of Selangor’s discretion, His Royal Highness will also look at other state assemblymen from Pakatan Rakyat who are qualified and to the Sultan of Selangor’s understanding hold majority support among the state assemblymen,” read a statement issued by his private secretary, Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani.

The Sultan said he was disappointed with PKR and DAP for insisting on submitting only one name for consideration as the next mentri besar despite his having requested late last month that they submit more than two names.

His statement stressed that the request for more than two candidates to be submitted was by convention, to give the Sultan the option to choose a mentri besar based not only on majority support in the state legislative assembly but also by the candidate’s skills, experience, integrity and capabilities.

“The action of DAP and Keadilan is an insult to the Royal Institution and constitutes an act of treason against the Sultan of Selangor’s decree,” the statement said.

PKR and DAP both listed PKR President Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as their proposed candidate for mentri besar, despite the Sultan of Selangor having initially rejected the proposal on grounds that he would need more than two names for consideration.

PAS had initially submitted two names — Wan Azizah and PKR deputy President Azmin Ali — but their list has since been overtaken by a list of three undisclosed names personally submitted by PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang late last week.

The Islamist party has stood apart from its allies in the ongoing Selangor mentri besar crisis, at times prolonging the issue.

PAS has been at the centre of an ongoing tussle over Pakatan Rakyat’s candidate to succeed embattled Khalid, with Hadi repeatedly stating his opposition to PKR’s plan to install their president, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, as the new mentri besar.

The issue had seemed moot when the Sultan of Selangor instructed all three parties to nominate at least three candidates each for his consideration by September 3.

But PKR and DAP later insisted on Dr Wan Azizah alone, renewing the clash with PAS, particularly Hadi and his party’s powerful Ulama wing.