Consensus falling apart
(The Star) – The devil, as they say, is in the details and that is why the consensus among the three Pakatan Rakyat parties to propose only PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for Mentri Besar is in danger of falling apart.
PAS has refused to sign the letter nominating Dr Wan Azizah because it disagrees with the content of the letter to be presented to the Sultan of Selangor who arrived home from overseas yesterday.
The letter was to have been inked on Friday at the high-level Pakatan leadership council meeting.
The party is convening an emergency central committee meeting tomorrow to discuss whether it should now proceed to nominate two names – Dr Wan Azizah and her deputy Azmin Ali.
The discord means a further delay to PKR’s bid to replace Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim with Dr Wan Azizah.
A Pakatan source said PAS had issues with the letter which had, among other things, stated that all 15 PAS assemblymen supported Dr Wan Azizah for Mentri Besar.
The wording, according to the source, “is too much.”
The party is prepared to go along with the plan to propose only one name at a time but cannot commit to that level of detail as it would compromise the party’s sentiments on the Mentri Besar issue. Moreover, not all of their 15 assemblymen want Dr Wan Azizah as Mentri Besar.
The earlier consensus agreed a week ago was to present only Dr Wan Azizah’s name and if she is rejected, Pakatan would proceed to nominate Azmin.
PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is believed to have pushed for this plan of action because he believes that the Mentri Besar decision must come from Pakatan while the palace is there to give its consent.
He had argued that submitting two names for the Sultan to consider would be akin to allowing the Sultan to decide.
The Sultan returned at about 2.30pm yesterday. However, palace officials indicated there would be no meetings today.
The Sultan will be meeting his officials tomorrow to catch up with work and also to discuss Dr Wan Azizah’s letter containing the statutory declarations of 30 assemblymen who support her.
His officials said that Khalid’s request for an audience with the Sultan would only take place on Tuesday or Wednesday.
PAS leaders were conspicuously missing at the opening of PKR’s annual congress yesterday. PAS sent its Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad while Lim Kit Siang represented DAP.
The Mentri Besar crisis was sparked off by the Kajang Move. It began as an internal PKR power struggle to topple Khalid but has since escalated to involve the other parties in Pakatan.
A snap state election is also a possible option. However, Pakatan leaders want to avoid that, although the polls they commissioned have shown that they will be returned to power in Selangor
