Azmin: PKR will not retract statement on hudud despite PAS pressure

(Bernama) – Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has no plans to withdraw its statement against PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang over the hudud issue although Permatang Pauh PAS insists on using it as a condition for cooperation in the Permatang Pauh by-election, said PKR deputy president Azmin Ali.

He said he had met PAS’ leaders many times and they were committed to help PKR in the by-election.

“The issue of withdrawing the statement does not arise here because Permatang Pauh PAS’ division chief Omar Hassan was himself present at the launch of the PKR machinery,” he told reporters after a “Hi-Tea” programme with PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail here, today.

He said this when asked on PAS’s support and a report that PAS would not help in the by-election if PKR did not retract its statement against Abdul Hadi over the issue of hudud.

Omar, at a media conference after its annual general meeting today, gave an ultimatum to PKR to withdraw its statement not to support PAS’s Private Member’s

Bill on hudud if it wanted to continue getting support in the by-election.

He said Permatang Pauh PAS also decided to give PKR until the day before nomination on April 25 to do so and demanded that PKR tender an open apology.

Azmin said he and Wan Azizah would try to get a confirmation on this with state PAS leaders.

Meanwhile, Azmin, who is also Mentri Besar of Selangor, once again denied allegations that five Selangor PKR assemblymen would jump party and work with former Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

“It is only propaganda for the by-election campaign and I am confident all the PKR assemblymen in Selangor are committed to defend the opposition pact’s policy,” he said.

The Permatang Pauh Parliamentary by-election was called after its incumbent Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was disqualified as an elected representative after a petition of royal pardon against his imprisonment for sodomy filed by his family was rejected by the Pardons Board.

Anwar is serving a five-year jail for sodomising his former personal assistant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Polling is on May 7.