Yesterday, DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) stated their commitment to nominate only the PKR president as replacement for sitting Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim without PAS agreement.
The statement issued to the media contained only two signatories – DAP publicity chief Tony Pua and PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail – no signatory from PAS.
And fearing the Islamist party might nominate its own member since the Sultan had decreed that each of the party in PR nominate at least two names, PKR de facto chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reiterated that PAS should concede to the pact’s consensus that Selangor Menteri Besar was PKR’s seat.
But PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustapha Ali said the party would still name two people as had been decided and also following the decree of Selangor Sultan.
The Selangor Menteri Besar saga has affected relationship within the PR where PAS is being singled out as ‘defiant’ by DAP and PKR for allegedly not complying to the pact’s consensus.
Sultan Sarafuddin Idris Shah’s decree in solving the eight-month saga has put distrust between PKR and PAS as both the parties have Malay assemblymen while the DAP has none.
The decree is considered as an open invitation to all the three parties to nominate their respective assemblymen and DAP and PKR insisted, through their statements yesterday that they still nominate only one name.
For PAS, the party leaders have reiterated their commitment to follow the consensus but in the case of Selangor, the Islamist party is actually in a dilemma.
The Islamist party has never defied any ruler’s decree which explained the good relationship PAS Menteris Besar had when the party ruled Terengganu, Kedah and still at present Kelantan.
Now the party is in a fixed – to defy the ruler’s decree in naming at least two from PAS is considered ‘derhaka’ or treacherous and to follow the course of DAP and PKR by naming only one assemblyman is also considered the same.
Under such circumtances, PAS has yet to meet to take its next course of action ebcause the party has never agreed to Wan Azizah to become Menteri Besar and DAP and PKR are sticking to it.
PAS leaders know Sultan Sarafuddin Idris Shah is not comfortable with Wan Azizah and they had expressed it to partners in PR but this was ignored.
The Islamist party had try to safe the situation by putting along PKR deputy president Azmin Ali’s name and this was also rejected, citing Azmin did not want the nomination.
And the party had also received calls from the party Selangor leaders and grassroots advising the national leaders to ‘walk the line very carefully’ following the many uncalled criticisms from DAP and PKR during the crisis.
Considering all the circuamstances and with PKR trying to claim Pengkalan Kubur state seat in Kelantan which is going for a by-election, the party leaders may opt to name its own people to the Sultan.
After all, the Sultan’s decree seemed to signal that a PAS assemblyman would be more appropriate to replace Khalid given the criteria according to the convention – a Selangorian, experience in administration and people oriented, enjoys support of half or more in the assembly and someone who the Sultan can trust and comfortable with.
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