Cloudy with chance of snap polls as Pakatan forks over Selangor MB

By admin-s On Sep 3, 2014

(MMO) – Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) future in Selangor is up in the air, analysts say, with PAS veering off from a PKR-DAP accord to nominate only Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the next mentri besar on today’s submission deadline to the palace.

The analysts added that the protracted political crisis in the country’s richest state will likely drag on if the Selangor Sultan picks PKR deputy president Azmin Ali over his chief, and may even trigger snap elections if it is uncertain who commands majority support in the state legislative assembly.

“Should state elections take place, I expect some fissures to open up; we can’t rule out multi-corner fights,” Merdeka Center director Ibrahim Suffian told Malay Mail Online when contacted yesterday.

DAP publicity chief Tony Pua said back on July 31 that PR could likely lose Selangor if snap polls were called, and that PAS, which holds 15 seats in the 56-seat assembly, may be wiped out from the urban state.

Political think tank chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan said the Selangor MB crisis has affected the level of trust between PAS, PKR and the DAP.

“This will be the biggest challenge faced by Pakatan. It is possible to salvage the relationship, but it will take time,” the executive director of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs told Malay Mail Online.

With today’s deadline for the names of the candidates to be submitted to the Selangor Sultan, PKR and the DAP are sticking to nominating just PKR president Dr Wan Azizah to replace Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as Selangor MB, despite the ruler’s request for more than one name.

PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli said the Selangor ruler was merely acting according to convention by requesting for more than two candidates to be nominated as MB.

“In exactly the same manner, parties that commanded majority support in the state legislative assembly have always submitted one name in accordance to the constitution and convention,” Rafizi told Malay Mail Online.

“This practice has worked previously and in that same spirit, I feel we shall be able to resolve the issue very soon,” he added.

Pua told Malay Mail Online that the DAP was nominating only Dr Wan Azizah, as per “democratic norms and convention”.

PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali said the Islamist party was nominating both Dr Wan Azizah and Azmin, in line with the ruler’s request for more than one name.

“They understand,” Mustafa told Malay Mail Online, referring to allies PKR and the DAP.

Political analyst Dr Lim Teck Ghee from the Centre for Policy Initiatives said Azmin could again decline PAS’ nomination by saying that he stood by his party’s choice of Dr Wan Azizah.

“If he does so, he will emerge with his political standing considerably enhanced. He will also be viewed as the man to watch in national politics after Anwar leaves the scene,” Lim said, referring to PKR de facto leader and Dr Wan Azizah’s husband, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.