KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — DAP should kickstart the formation of a new coalition government in Selangor by publicly backing Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to be reinstated as mentri besar now that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is no more, Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia said today.

The Umno-owned daily’s assistant news editor Zulkefli Hamzah said that as the party responsible for declaring PR’s death, DAP should lead efforts to resolve the political crisis in Selangor.

“DAP should show the way to build a (new) Selangor government. Anyway Selangor has always been said to be an example of an opposition coalition (government).

“Perhaps the Port Klang assemblyman, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim can be chosen once again as Selangor MB to steer the new coalition in Malaysian politics, he is the most capable and exemplifies the qualities of a leader DAP always wants- competent, accountable and transparent,” Zulkifli wrote in Mingguan Malaysia, the weekend edition of Utusan.

“He (Khalid) is known as a politician who does not bow to orders and political pressure. In addition, Khalid has had vast experience in administering Selangor, he fits DAP’s qualifications,” the Utusan writer added.

But Zulkifli expressed doubt as to whether DAP would actually agree to such a move, claiming that all the secular party interested in was power and control.

“DAP started this game, the party should be at the forefront in resolving this problem in Selangor.

“Do not be selfish and only think about Penang but letting go of your responsibility to the people in Selangor,” he said.

PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail declared on Wednesday that PR will no longer function formally as a coalition, following “hasty” decisions made by DAP and PAS.

In a statement declaring the “death” of PR on Tuesday, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng blamed Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang for the coalition’s demise, saying the PAS president’s recent actions as well as the Islamist party’s decision at its congress this month to sever ties with DAP meant PR’s Common Policy Framework was broken.

PAS on June 6 confirmed its decision to sever ties with DAP while still remaining in PR with PKR, after its motion to do so was approved without debate.