Azmin the frontrunner after PAS rep declines Selangor MB post?

(MMO) – PKR deputy president Azmin Ali is expected to sworn in as the new Selangor mentri besar tomorrow, Malay daily Berita Harian reported today.

Citing unnamed sources, the paper reported that the Selangor palace had initially picked Iskandar Samad for the post but the PAS assemblyman turned down the offer, allegedly due to health reasons.

“The palace will only announce Azmin’s appointment tomorrow (today) through a press statement or a press conference with His Royal Highness’ consent,” the anonymous source was quoted as saying.

“Then, the appointment of six new state executive councillors will be done on Friday, while the four executive councillors from PAS will be retained,” the source added.

English-language daily The Star reported Saturday that Azmin, as well as PAS state executive councillors Iskandar and Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi, were interviewed by the Selangor palace separately last week on their potential to be the next mentri besar.

Iskandar, who is Selangor PAS commissioner and Cempaka assemblyman, and Dr Ahmad Yunus, PAS’s Sijangkang assemblyman, were two of the three individuals named by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang in the party’s list of potential mentri besar candidates to the Sultan.

PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was reportedly not among those interviewed by the Selangor Sultan, despite having obtained majority support of the 56-seat state legislative assembly through statutory declarations from 30 assemblymen.

PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said in a statement yesterday that Dr Wan Azizah remained the party’s sole nominee as MB.