Despite royal reprimand, Anwar keeps faith with Dr Wan Azizah

(Malay Mail Online) – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is refusing to nominate anyone beyond his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, to be Selangor mentri besar despite censure from the state palace for failing to submit three candidates as requested.

Party sources told local English daily The Star that the PKR de facto leader fended off calls from within the party to submit more names and is adamant on Dr Wan Azizah being the only one put forth.

“Azmin Ali had called on Anwar to be more rational and submit two more names as requested by the Sultan. But Anwar refused to budge,” said the source.

PAS previously proposed Azmin as an alternative to Dr Wan Azizah.

After being reproached by the Selangor palace for failing to comply with its request for at least three nominees for the Sultan’s consideration, PKR had said yesterday it would submit two more candidates within the next 48 hours.

The party’s secretary-general, Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, said PKR “will announce and explain” its next move once it is finalised.

Selangor’s Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah last week asked the three Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties — DAP, PKR and PAS — to each send in at least three names for him to consider for the state government’s top post, by September 3.

The DAP and PKR were steadfast in their decision to nominate only Dr Wan Azizah for the post.

But PAS, in defiance of a PR presidential council decision on August 17, sent in three names yesterday.

Saifuddin said the party had contemplated PAS’ nominees, but no decisions have been made.

“Mustafa said two PKR and one PAS representative were named. We discussed the scenario… but even then we don’t know who their nominees from PKR were,” he said, referring to his PAS counterpart, Datuk Mustafa Ali.

PAS submitted three names to the state ruler directly from the party president’s office.

The current crisis stems from PKR’s move to oust Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim from office, including sacking him from the party and leaving the state in the hands of an independent mentri besar.

Khalid has since resigned as mentri besar but remains in office in a caretaker capacity until his successor is chosen.