In PAS’s backing of Khalid, Guan Eng sees possible Pakatan break-up
(Malay Mail Online) – PAS’s refusal to stick to Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) decision on the Selangor mentri besar saga could lead to a split in the coalition and end the current two-party system, Lim Guan Eng warned today.
The DAP secretary-general said when a decision made by the PR presidential council is negated by one party within PR, the pact’s credibility and survival comes under threat.
“And without PR, Malaysia will revert back to the era of power monopolies, which oppresses the people and benefits the cronies,” Lim said in his Aidilfitri message today.
PAS’s top leadership is due to meet after the Hari Raya festivities on August 10 to decide on its final stand in the on-going tussle within PKR for the Selangor mentri besar’s post.
While some within PAS had reportedly agreed during the PR presidential council meeting earlier this week that incumbent Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim should be removed, other top leaders have indicated otherwise, showing the emergence of factions within the Islamist party.
On Friday, PAs president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang publicly expressed his support for Khalid to remain as Selangor mentri besar despite allies PKR and the DAP’s open declaration that they want Khalid replaced.
“I have heard all the arguments, and I find that majority of PAS grassroots are in agreement that Khalid Ibrahim should remain as mentri besar,” Hadi was quoted as saying in Terengganu.
Hadi’s defiance, if followed through as PAS’s official position, could push Selangor into a leadership crisis and possibly force the state to hold early elections, observers said.
Political pundits also believe that a snap poll could break the three-party PR coalition.
Responding yesterday, PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution reminded that the PR top council had already decided on the matter and agreed to nominate Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in Khalid’s place.
“Pakatan Rakyat’s presidential council meeting on that day confirmed the commitment from each party that PAS and DAP respected the principle of nomination of the mentri besar post should come from Keadilan,” he said in a statement here.
Saifuddin pointed out that six top PAS leaders, with the exception of Hadi, had attended the meeting and agreed to this.
The leaders are PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali, vice-presidents Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man and Datuk Husam Musa, Youth chief Suhaizan Kayat and central committee member Datuk Dr Hatta Ramli.
Since then, two more top PAS leaders emerged to express their backing of Hadi’s support for Khalid – Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and Datuk Ahmad Yakob.
Ahmad, who is PAS acting ulama wing chief and Kelantan mentri besar, said yesterday that the party’s powerful conservative faction “fully supports” Hadi’s endorsement of Khalid retaining his post as MB.
The leader also called on party members to support this, saying Hadi’s words represents PAS and should be respected.
Today, PAS spiritual adviser Nik Aziz echoed the sentiment. Like Ahmad, the political veteran said Hadi’s views should be respected and adhered to.
Khalid, who has refused to back down from his post, despite his party’s attempt to unseat him, moved to thank his PAS allies this afternoon.
The embattled second-term mentri besar had recently survived his own party’s abortive “Kajang Move” to oust him from the position last March, but surfacing controversies in the state have since renewed the push to have him replaced.
Among others, these include the still-unresolved row over the seizure of bibles in the state and Khalid’s perceived partiality towards the developers of the proposed Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) that is facing mounting resistance from state residents.
