Azmin named MB candidate?

(NST) – PKR and DAP are believed to have nominated another candidate aside from Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as their choice for Selangor menteri besar.

It is understood that both parties had submitted two names to the Selangor palace for consideration yesterday.

The move is a step back from their initial stand of nominating only PKR president Dr Wan Azizah to replace Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Sources close to PKR and DAP leaders claimed the other name submitted for the menteri besar post, apart from Dr Wan Azizah, was that of her deputy, Azmin Ali.

Attempts to determine official confirmation of Azmin’s nomination yesterday, however, proved unsuccessful.

A PKR insider, when contacted, confirmed that nomination letters from PKR and DAP were sent to the palace yesterday afternoon.

“PKR and DAP sent two names, respectively,” he said, without revealing the identity of the candidates or if both parties decided to nominate the same candidates.

On Aug 26, PKR and DAP defied a decree by Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, hours after the palace issued a statement stating that the Selangor sultan wanted members of the Pakatan coalition to nominate more than two candidates each to replace Khalid.

The Port Klang state assemblyman had earlier been sacked from PKR.

The two parties had, in a joint statement, said they would submit only one name, that of Dr Wan Azizah, as their proposed candidate for the post.

Meanwhile, Pas has chosen to wait until the deadline today before submitting their list of candidates.

“We will wait until the last minute and send the names tomorrow (today),” said party secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali when contacted yesterday.

Mustafa said the party leadership had modified their earlier stance of abiding by Sultan Sharafuddin’s decree by nominating only two names, instead of at least three as demanded by the palace.

“I have never said that Pas will nominate a third candidate.

“There will only be two nominees,” he said, refuting reports that the party had decided to submit an additional name other than Dr Wan Azizah and Azmin as candidates.

Since the sultan’s decree, Pas leaders had indicated that they would not defy the ruler and would send three nominees to the palace.

Among them was Selangor Pas commissioner Iskandar Abdul Aziz, who, on Aug 28 said the party would abide by the sultan’s decree.

“Pas will abide by what Tuanku wants. (If) it is more than two (nominations), we shall abide.”

Nonetheless, according to a Pas insider, the decision to wait until the last minute to submit the names of the party’s nominees suggested that Pas did not want any interference from its Pakatan allies in case it decided, in the final hour, to add another candidate in the list to be submitted to the palace.

“Pas may spring a surprise in the end by sending names of other PKR assemblymen other than Dr Wan Azizah and Azmin for the menteri besar post,” said a party insider.

Among the PKR assemblymen said to be favoured by the Pas leadership and considered a wild card candidate for the menteri besar post are Ijok’s Dr Idris Ahmad and Kota Anggerik’s Dr Yaakob Sapari.