Anwar to wait for palace reply before considering more MB nominees, sources say

(Malay Mail Online) – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has brushed off demands to propose more PKR names for the Selangor mentri besar post and intends to wait for a reply from the palace to the party’s latest letter before deciding the next step, sources familiar with the matter said.

Malay Mail Online understands that the issue of nominating more candidates for the MB seat was raised during PKR’s political bureau meeting last night due to the Selangor Sultan’s censure of the party for failing to follow his orders to nominate more than two candidates.

But Anwar, who chaired the meeting, had apparently told party leaders to wait for the Selangor palace to reply to PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s latest letter before considering other nominees.

Party sources said that Dr Wan Azizah’s letter contained a request for an audience with the state ruler and made no mention of more PKR nominees.

“Understand there is a request… reasons for the request not sure, not clear,” a PKR source told Malay Mail Online.

But PKR’s position remains the same — to stick with a single MB nominee until and unless there are further developments with the palace.

“Status quo (for now),” a PKR leader told Malay Mail Online when contacted.

Party secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution confirmed last night that the letter signed by Dr Wan Azizah was delivered to the palace yesterday, but would not divulge further details on its contents.

“The president had sent a letter as a response to the palace’s letter dated September 3.

“All I know is that the letter was sent and it was acknowledged by the palace,” he hold reporters when met at the PKR headquarters after the party’s political bureau meeting.

The state ruler had previously expressed disappointment with PKR and the DAP for submitting just one name for the mentri besar seat, despite having requested for more than two names from each Pakatan Rakyat (PR) party.

In his response on September 3, the Sultan had penned a letter to PKR, instructing them to provide more than two names for the post.

Yesterday, Anwar also sought forgiveness from the Selangor Sultan  over PKR’s failure to do so, but stressed that the party was only following in Umno’s footsteps when it only handed in one nominee to the palace.

In a statement, the PKR de facto chief pointed out that in the history of Umno’s rule since independence in 1957, the party had only ever provided the name of one state assemblyman or one parliamentarian to the palace for the post of chief minister, mentri besar or even prime minister.

In response to the Selangor palace’s rebuke on Monday, Anwar said he was sorry if PKR’s adherence to the state constitution and practice had “scarred” the feelings of the Selangor Sultan.

Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said on Monday that he will weigh the names put forward by the three PR parties, but will not limit possible candidates to those proposed by the DAP, PKR and PAS in search of Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s replacement.

The ruler expressed disappointment with PKR and the DAP for submitting just one name, despite having requested for more than two names from each PR party.

PAS had initially submitted two names — Dr Wan Azizah and PKR deputy President Azmin Ali — but their list has since been overtaken by a list of three undisclosed names personally submitted by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang late last week.

Thirty Selangor assemblymen — all 28 from PKR and the DAP, as well as two from PAS — had signed statutory declarations in support of Dr Wan Azizah, comprising the majority of the 56-seat legislative assembly.