PAS names Wan Azizah, Azmin for MB

KUALA LUMPUR: The PAS party leadership has unanimously nominated PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Azizah and newly elected PKR deputy president Azmin Ali as the possible candidates to replace Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.
In annnouncing this, PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu said this was the decision taken by all its leaders who attended the special central working committee meeting which convened today at 10am to brainstorm on the situation brewing in Selangor, especially on the removal of Khalid as the MB.
The meeting was chaired by PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang (pix).
However, what puzzled the reporters after this announcement was that PAS has also directed its four state executive council members to continue with their work under the Khalid administration of the state as it did not want their services to the people to be disrupted.
When asked why PAS is not standing by its earlier decision, Mohamad Sabu said: “The concern now is no longer on Khalid as he has been sacked by PKR. The issue now is who should take over his place.”
He added that PAS will remain in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition in implementing the Tahaluf Siyasi (political cooperation politics).
Questioned why the party nominated Wan Azizah and Azmin, Mohamad Sabu said: “This is the decision of the PAS leadership and the outcome of our meeting will be conveyed to PKR and DAP.”
Mohamad Sabu refused to answer reporters’ repeated question on why PAS nominated Azmin, but said that the party will not claim the Selangor MB post from PKR.
He said PAS respected the prevailing spirit in Pakatan in nominating the candidates.
Earlier, PAS supporters who arrived at the party headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut here as early as 8am, were seen holding cards that read “We are PAS member and we support our president”.
Meanwhile, Selangor PAS said it accepted the leadership’s decision and it would continue with its work in the state as exco members.
Its secretary, Mohd Khairuddin Othman, said the state PAS was willing to work with whoever is the MB.
The Selangor government leadership crisis started when Khalid refused to resign from his post to give way to Wan Azizah to become the MB as directed by his party.
Following his refusal, Khalid was sacked by the party but he was retained as the MB after the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, granted him an audience.
In an immediate reaction, Khalid said he accepted with an open heart the PAS central committee’s decision and would seek an audience with the Sultan to advise him on the next course of action to be taken.
The Sultan is currently overseas and will only be back on Aug 27.
“Until the Sultan makes a final decision, I will continue as the MB with the four PAS members in the exco for continuity of administration as I do not want the rakyat to to be affected with this political crisis,” he said in a statement.
Khalid expressed his gratitude to his colleagues, and people of Selangor for their support to make a success of the reformation agenda in Selangor.
He also thanked everyone for their patience and support given to him at this moment of crisis and hoped the issue would be resolved in accordance with the process of the laws.