What Umno convention? PAS says multiple MB nominees was just obeying Sultan
(Malay Mail Online) – PAS has brushed aside PKR’s claim that the latter was only following Umno’s practice in only sending one mentri besar nominee to the state palace, saying today it was unaware of such a convention.
Selangor PAS commissioner Iskandar Abd Samad said that his party simply adhered to the Sultan’s directive and went ahead in submitting more than two MB nominees.
“We (PAS) did it like that because we were following what Tuanku (the Sultan) wanted,” Iskandar told reporters when they met at the state secretariat building here.
The PAS leader was asked to comment on PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s claim that the party’s single nominee was done in accordance to a convention put in place by Umno.
When asked whether splinter groups within PAS such as Pasma (Persatuan Ummah Sejahtera Malaysia) would cause the Islamist party to disintegrate, Iskandar said it was highly unlikely.
“Last time we had other groups like Hizbul Muslimin and Berjasa…but these partied never went anywhere.
“PAS will survive,” the Chempaka state assemblyman added.
On Monday, Anwar apologised to the Selangor Sultan over PKR’s failure to submit more MB nominees, 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 opposition leader 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 — PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail 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.
