DAP’s Karpal chides ‘presumptuous’ PKR deputy president
(The Star) – The feud between Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and his party boss Azmin Ali has worsened with more Pakatan Rakyat leaders joining in the fray to chide the PKR deputy president.
The latest Pakatan leader to do so is DAP chairman Karpal Singh who reminded Azmin that he was not in any position to unilaterally announce anything affecting the coalition, including on who should be the Selangor mentri besar if the coalition retained power in the state.
“Azmin has exceeded the bounds of opinion, because this matter is beyond PKR. It involves the Pakatan Rakyat leadership,” Karpal said yesterday.
Karpal was asked to comment on Azmin’s recent statement in a Malay daily that implied that Khalid would not be re-appointed as Mentri Besar should Pakatan retain power in Selangor.
Azmin had said that Khalid’s services were needed at the federal level if Pakatan succeeded in capturing Putrajaya.
Karpal said it was not proper for Azmin to express such an opinion because the decision was not in the hands of PKR alone.
PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali also affirmed that the matter was never discussed at the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council meetings.
He had described Azmin as “over ambitious” for making such a statement.
PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim‘s former private secretary, Annuar Shaari also said the feud between Azmin and Khalid had always been an “open secret” within the party circle.
“Azmin had wanted the mentri besar’s post in 2008, but he kept silent after Anwar convinced him they could take over Putrajaya in 2009,” he said.
He said it was also known that PKR president Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was not in favour of Azmin, while her husband Anwar favoured him.
Khalid’s political secretary Faekah Husin said Azmin had prematurely dropped the bomb.
She said Khalid had laughed off the matter because he did not mind whether he was fielded or dropped from the list of candidates in the next elections.
In an unrelated development, Khalid admitted that some PKR members still found fault with the party and doubted the viability of Pakatan.
“This is happening because the members are more concerned about their own interests. This is not right. We should show more maturity towards attaining the party’s goals,” he said at the opening of the party’s Kuala Selangor division’s annual general meeting in Ijok yesterday.
