KUALA LUMPUR (Apr 3): Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali took a swipe at his predecessor Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim today, saying that "a leader who is afraid to make decisions is not worthy of leading".

The Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman, in a question-and-answer session at the state assembly today, directed the remark at Khalid for pushing him to wrap up the state’s water-restructuring exercise yesterday.

Azmin said since taking office in September, he was able to resolve the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) controversy, which was delayed several times during Khalid's tenure.

"The Kidex issue has been going on for so long, and I am grateful to Allah that in a short time that I was given the responsibility, and upon hearing the feedback from all sides, was able to decide and cancel the project," he said, replying to a question from Meru assemblyman, Dr Abdul Rani Othman.

Rani was seeking clarification on the terms of the highway agreement and whether the state was at risk of a legal action after cancelling it.

Khalid, while debating the royal address in the state assembly sitting yesterday, had said the state’s water-restructuring exercise must be resolved for the people’s sake.

He reportedly said efforts of officers and the previous administration in formulating the water deal with the federal government were in vain as the current administration was more intent on “dilly dallying”.

"The menteri besar’s honeymoon is over and we must work towards ensuring the needs of the people are met – as we promised them after the last general election," he was reported as saying.

Azmin today said the credibility and integrity of a leader was measured by the person's ability and daring in making a decision.

"A leader is not counted if he has no guts in making decisions and always remains on the safe side," he said.

Khalid, who had signed the controversial water agreement with Putrajaya last year when he was MB, had earlier warned that Selangor could be on the losing end if the state government failed to work things out with Putrajaya over the water-restructuring deal.

He said it risked losing the opportunity to take over the equity of four water concessionaires which have been milking "sinful profits" from the people based on a lopsided agreement.

On March 9, Azmin said the Selangor government would not grant Putrajaya an extension for allegedly failing to comply with preconditions set by the state government.

Khalid was sacked from PKR last year over a host of reasons, including his decision to sign the water-restructuring deal with Putrajaya, without consulting Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

Selangor's Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, in delivering the royal address at the opening of the third term of the 13th Selangor legislative assembly sitting on Monday said the water-restructuring agreement in the state must be finalised immediately, in accordance with the main agreement signed by the state and federal governments on September 12, 2014.