(THE STAR) - Embattled Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak is poised to turn the tables on two rebel state executive councillors with a reshuffled exco line-up.
The new line-up to be sworn in on Tuesday is likely to exclude Pengkalan Kundor assemblyman Datuk Phahrolrazi Mohd Zawawi and Alor Mengkudu assemblyman Dr Ismail Salleh, who have said they can no longer accept Azizan's leadership.
Azizan is set to make his move following a mandate which he said he had received from the top PAS leadership.
He told The Star that he was waiting for royal assent to the exco list, which has been presented to the Sultan of Kedah, who is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The swearing-in will be before the chairman of the Regency Council, Datuk Seri Utama Tunku Annuar Sultan Badlishah.
Kedah sources said several names had been proposed to replace Phahrolrazi and Dr Ismail. They included Bukit Lada assemblyman Ahmad Izzat Mohamad, who is the state Deputy Speaker, Zuki Yusof (Kuala Ketil), Yaakob Husin (Bandar Baharu) and Johari Abdullah (Kupang).
The additional names are stand-by candidates because of talk that two other exco members, Datuk Taulan Mat Razul and Dr Hamdan Mohamed, might join the mutiny. However, Taulan said he would attend the ceremony if directed by the party leadership.
On the mandate given to Azizan, a central party leader said the Dewan Harian involving the party's top echelon met Azizan and Phahrolrazi separately last week.
“The two sides are in a deadlock; they have reached a point of no return. The situation is very serious and critical and no one wants to rock the boat with elections around the corner,” he added.
Azizan met Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, who is PAS spiritual leader, at his house here yesterday.
The original mutiny plan was for the majority of the exco members to boycott the swearing-in as a way of exerting pressure on Azizan to resign. But while many of the central party leaders may be sympathetic to the rebel pair, they are said to be uncomfortable with the idea of forcing Azizan to go with the general election around the corner.
After Azizan's heart attack last year, Phahrolrazi and several others had tried to get the Mentri Bersar to step down.
PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang had been scheduled to seek an audience with the Sultan to propose Phahrolrazi as the new Mentri Besar.
However, the plan was scuttled when Azizan's supporters indicated there would be trouble if he was forced out. Since then, the relationship between the Mentri Besar and Phahrolrazi has been chilly.
