PKR shielding palace from ‘unhealthy’ lobbying by sticking to sole MB nominee, Rafizi says
(Malay Mail Online) – If PKR had succumbed to pressure and agreed to propose more than one sole nominee for the post of Selangor mentri besar to the Sultan, it would have exposed the royal institution to petty politicking and lobbying by party hopefuls, Rafizi Ramli said.
The PKR vice-president claimed his party was merely trying to “protect the sanctity” of the institution by making sure the best candidate for the post is put forward, which then helps keep the credibility of the Malay rulers untainted.
“If we base our decisions on mere signals and speculations of what the palace was attempting to convey instead of the official communication network… in the future it is easy for the palace to change the choice made by the people through the general election.
“If this is the way we are going to go we are then opening up our royal institution and our political parties to an unhealthy conduct of lobbying,” said Rafizi told a dialogue session organised by Persatuan Ummah Sejahtera Malaysia (PasMa) last night.
He said the royal institution should remain “above politics” and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) should not expose the palace to open lobbying by candidate hopefuls who may “promise all sorts of things”.
“The appointment of the mentri besar will then be about who offers the best package to the person in power,” said Rafizi.
The Pandan MP was responding to questions on why PKR had snubbed the state ruler’s decree for more than two names to be submitted for the mentri seat from each the PR parties.
In the palace’s response on September 3, the ruler had expressed disappointment with PKR and the DAP for proposing a sole nominee — PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail — despite having requested for more than two names from each PR party.
Nevertheless, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said 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.
Rafizi, however, insisted that in the official communication from the Sultan, dated August 27, it was “succinctly” put that the palace has acknowledged the nomination letters from the three parties and that Dr Wan Azizah has the majority.
“In the subsequent course of the events, we were made to understand that the palace had commented that Dr Wan Azizah (only) did not fulfil the second request that more than two names are proposed, that is all,” he claimed.
He also said that legal experts have reviewed the correspondence between the party and the palace, and decided that the Sultan has not expressly rejected Dr Wan Azizah’s nomination and that it is known that she enjoys the confidence of the Selangor legislative assembly.
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
“Therefore, I appeal to everyone to remain calm, let us not preempt what the Sultan decides,” he said.
“How we manage this problem at hand has far reaching consequences… what we decide in Selangor could affect other states,” cautioned Rafizi.
The protracted leadership crisis has driven the three-party pact to consider splitting up, as PAS has continued to disagree with PKR’s insistence on replacing Khalid, Rafizi admitted, but added that it is “part and parcel of maturing as a coalition”.
“Once there is suspicion that a politician is corrupt and he cannot answer to the allegations levelled against him, he should resign or be sacked,” he said, stressing that Khalid was given the boot from the party only after failing to come clean on how he had settled his RM66.67 Million debt with Bank Islam, among several other accusations.
“Tok Haji Hadi had said that Tan Sri Khalid had explained his himself well in their private meeting, but the latter didn’t furnish any evidence when questioned by PKR’s top leadership,” added Rafizi.
PAS has been at the centre of an ongoing tussle over PR’s candidate to succeed embattled Khalid, with PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang repeatedly stating his opposition to PKR’s plan to install Dr Wan Azizah as the new mentri besar.
Hadi had snubbed Dr Wan Azizah claiming that she was unqualified to lead, and submitted his own list of names supposedly proposing two PKR names and one PAS name.
Hadi has, however, kept mum on their identities.
Despite their president’s decision circumvented an earlier resolution by PAS — which had sent in a list of two names — Wan Azizah and PKR deputy President Azmin Ali — for consideration by the ruler, the Islamist party reiterated that it is not vying for to country’s richest state’s top post.
