PKR will not support Azmin if he becomes Selangor MB

PETALING JAYA: PKR has dismissed claims that Azmin Ali has the blessings of party adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim if the deputy president is chosen as the new Selangor mentri besar.

Secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution said the party would not support any candidate for the post other than PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

“I stress that PKR’s official stand on the appointment of the new Selangor mentri besar has not changed,” he said in a press statement yesterday that followed an earlier one – in less than 24 hours.

Saifuddin reiterated that Dr Wan Azizah had the majority support in the 56-seat legislative assembly as 30 members had signed statutory declarations supporting her sole candidacy.

Azmin, who is among those who had signed the statutory declaration, is said to be one of the frontrunners for the post.

Saifuddin said the party’s stand that only Dr Wan Azizah should be considered had not changed, adding that this was stated in his press statement on Friday and that all other reports, especially those quoting sources, were baseless.

The swearing-in of the new mentri besar to replace Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim is scheduled to take place at 10am on Tuesday.

The Selangor palace had reportedly vetted potential candidates to replace Khalid and Azmin’s name is reportedly on the list. The others are PAS executive councillors Iskandar Samad and Dr Ahmad Yunus Khairi.

In SHAH ALAM, Khalid said he would only talk about handing over duties to his predecessor after that person has been sworn in.

“We have agreed not to make any comments until then,” Khalid said yesterday.

He also declined to comment when asked about PKR’s recent statement that the party would seek an audience with Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

In another development, Khalid’s lawyer New Sin Yew urged the Registrar of Societies to quickly conclude investigations on Khalid’s sacking, which he deemed was flawed and against the party constitution.

“Article 9.1 (e) of the PKR constitution states that a member of the central leadership council could only be sacked with the agreement of two-thirds of the members of the council, and the disciplinary committee had breached this clause when they pushed for the sacking of Khalid,” said New, adding that the sacking had a bearing on Khalid’s position as the mentri besar.