Anwar’s ‘stupid joke’ no laughing matter, says PAS

“I don’t buy that kind of stupid joke.”

This was PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali’s response when asked by The Rakyat Post on Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s suggestion that the Islamist party had rejected Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s nomination as Selangor Menteri Besar due to her gender.

Anwar had yesterday queried if PAS’ insistence on including a man to its candidate list for the much sought after post was because the PKR president was a woman.

PAS had on August 17, suggested either Dr Wan Azizah or her deputy Mohamad Azmin Ali should replace Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim as the Selangor Menteri Besar.

The party had initially backed Abdul Khalid to retain the post after PKR and DAP supported the proposal for Dr Wan Azizah to succeed the Port Klang assemblyman.

They, however, changed their stance after Abdul Khalid was sacked from the party for refusing to step down.

PAS is now leaving the matter up to the Sultan who had recently asked the three component parties in the Opposition coalition to submit at least two names from their respective parties for the post.

When it was pointed out by TRP that Mustafa had previously dismissed the notion that gender was not a reason for rejecting Dr Wan Azizah, he replied: “That is 200% right.”

However, it had been previously reported that Mustafa had refused to disclose PAS’ reasons for not supporting Dr Wan Azizah.