PAS mooted Azmin after royal meeting, Youth chief confirms
(Malay Mail Online) – PAS only chose to nominate of Azmin Ali as an alternative to Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for the Selangor mentri besar’s post after the Islamist party met with the state ruler, Youth wing chief Suhaizan Kayat confirmed today.
Suspicions of sexism were cast in the Islamist party’s direction after it sought to push the PKR deputy president as an alternative to Dr Wan Azizah, but Suhaizan today said the push for Azmin did not materialise prior to Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s meeting with the Sultan.
“The PAS president has relatively good ties with the Selangor Palace. On the fourth day of Syawal, he was summoned to appear before the Sultan.
“As a result, the president made the decision that an alternative nominee must be presented to face eventualities involving the palace and Datuk Seri Wan Azizah,” he said in a statement today.
The PAS Youth chief did not elaborate on what these “eventualities” are, but it is rumoured that the PKR president may not secure the royal consent she needs to become mentri besar.
Suhaizan’s statement today also corroborates the claim by PAS’s Selangor executive councillor Sallehin Mukhyi that the party’s insistence on an alternative to Dr Wan Azizah was not based on her gender.
“We have explained. We did not agree not because she is a woman, but because palace did not consent,” the PAS state deputy commissioners said yesterday.
Today, Suhaizat said PAS’s decision to nominate a PKR member demonstrated the Islamist party’s commitment to the Pakatan Rakyat pact, despite the relentless allegations of disloyalty against it for frustrating the bid to install Dr Wan Azizah in place of the embattled Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
“PAS has also been patient in the face of accusation of betrayal for keeping its four excos along with the independent mentri besar. PAS’s intentions are noble and meant to preserve the Selangor administration while a new mentri besar is appointed,” he said when pleading for a cessation of the friendly fire against his party.
The PAS Youth chief also insisted that Sunday’s decision to withdraw support for Khalid was not an about-face, saying that the mentri besar’s sacking invalidated the backing previously given him.
He said the party’s co-operation in the PR pact was with allies PKR and DAP, and not with Khalid’s person.
After weeks of bickering over the bid to remove Khalid from the Selangor mentri besar’s seat, the three-party coalition finally agreed on Sunday to nominate Dr Wan Azizah as his replacement.
The agreement did not come easily, however, as top leaders in PAS had previously opposed her nomination. Instead, they had urged their PR partner PKR to nominate Azmin as a possible candidate for the post.
Khalid was sacked from PKR on August 9 for openly resisting his party’s order for him to step down and make way for Dr Wan Azizah.
After PR’s decision last weekend, however, Khalid said he will meet with the Sultan upon the ruler’s return from overseas this August 27 to discuss the debacle further.
