Selangor MB crisis: Gender not reason for rejecting Wan Azizah, says Mustafa Ali

(The Star) – PAS secretary general Mustafa Ali has denied that gender was a reason that the party rejected PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail for the Selangor mentri besar’s post.

He said PKR has been informed of the reason behind the party’s decision not to pick Dr Wan Azizah.

“No, it is not because of her gender,” he told a packed press conference after the party’s political bureau meeting at the PAS headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut Thursday night.

When pressed for the reason behind PAS’ stand in not supporting Dr Wan Azizah, Mustafa said: “I won’t disclose. Tak boleh sebut (I can’t say).”

Mustafa said PAS had no intention to “claim” the mentri besar post despite having more seats than PKR in the state assembly.

He also said the issue of mentri besar would be decided at the party’s leadership meeting on Sunday.

On the two state assemblymen, Saari Sungib (Hulu Kelang) and Hasnul Baharuddin (Morib) who pledged their support for Dr Wan Azizah, Mustafa said they had acted “on their own”.

“We will investigate and decide the appropriate action later,” he said, describing the move by the two assemblymen as “unprecedented”.