Selangor MB crisis: It’s deadlock as deadline passes

(The Star) – The deadline is over but the deadlock remains with still no answer as to who will be the next mentri besar of Selangor.

To make things worse, it is believed that PAS had sent in a list to the Sultan of Selangor with three names – all from PAS, leaving both PKR president Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and deputy president Azmin Ali out.

The list, it was reliably learnt, was handed over to the palace by an aide of PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang.

PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali confirmed that the president had on Wednesday submitted three names for the Selangor Sultan to replace Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, who has been sacked by PKR.

Mustafa said he was informed the name list from PAS had two names from PKR (Wan Azizah and Azmin) and one from PAS. However, he admitted he did not see the letter.

“I did not see the letter. I was told the president had included two names from PKR and one from PAS,” he said.

Mustafa said Hadi inserted the third name at the 11th hour, as a mark of respect to the Sultan who requested more than two names.

However, sources said the names of the three candidates submitted by Hadi were all from PAS. One claimed the names were of exco members – Iskandar Abdul Samad, Sallehin Mukhyi and Ahmad Yunus.

Mustafa steered clear of the claim adding: “We did not shorlist only the excos. All PAS assemblymen in Selangor are eligible for the post, except Hulu Kelang and Morib assemblymen (Saari Sungib and Hasnul Baharuddin).”

Hadi had struck out the two for breaching party discipline by abiding with PKR’s order to sign statutory declarations endorsing Wan Azizah as the sole candidate for the job. Some PAS leaders have expressed dissatisfaction with PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for forcing them to endorse his wife as the sole candidate.

“We do not know what game Anwar is trying to play. Anwar shouldn’t have defied convention by forcing the Sultan to accept his wife as the sole candidate for the job,” said a party leader who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The PAS central committee had on Aug 17 endorsed the nomination of Wan Azizah and Azmin to replace Khalid. However, the palace had requested PKR, DAP and PAS to submit more than two names after Khalid tendered his resignation last month.

The Sultan also put Khalid’s resignation on hold until a suitable candidate has been appointed. It was reported that the palace was not keen to appoint a “remote-controlled” Mentri Besar. Singapore-born Wan Azizah’s candidature is also under scrutiny, as Article 53(3) of the Selangor Constitution disqualifies naturalised citizens for the Mentri Besar post.