MALAYSIA'S Parti Keadlian Rakyat (PKR) has decided to sack one of its leaders, renegade Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, after he refused to face a disciplinary panel today, party officials said after its leadership meeting today.

The party's leaders led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim met this afternoon to endorse the decision to sack him, the latest twist in the protracted battle for control of Malaysia's richest state.

The decision was "unanimous and with immediate effect," one PKR leader told The Straits Times.

Tan Sri Khalid has repeatedly refused to heed party orders for him to resign from the Selangor chief minister's post to make way for PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also Mr Anwar's wife.

This had led Mr Khalid to being summoned by the party's disciplinary committee, which gave him up to noon today to turn up to explain his actions. Mr Khalid did not turn up.

PKR is one of three federal opposition parties that governs Selangor state under the banner of the Pakatan Rakyat alliance.

Its other allies are the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).

Mr Anwar's PKR and the DAP had agreed to Mr Khalid's removal.

But the top clerics of PAS had thrown their support behind the embattled chief minister, leading to the current standoff.

PAS is to meet to decide its final stand on the matter on Aug 17.