PAS rubbishes Selangor coup rumours

SHAH ALAM: PAS vice-president Datuk Iskandar Samad has rubbished rumours of a coup in Selangor with several assemblymen joining Umno together with Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib.

Iskandar, who is a senior Selangor executive councillor, said it could not happen as the state administration was strong and doing well.

“I don’t see how it could happen because we have no reason to let the state administration collapse as we are functioning well and serving the people well. It doesn’t make sense that he (Muhammad) could bring several state assemblymen with him to join Umno.

“We have achieved a lot and are still doing many things on the ground for the people. It will be a waste to simply throw all these away,” he said after chairing a dialogue with media representatives and residents on housing issues here Monday.

Iskandar was responding to talk that Muhammad was bringing eight Selangor assemblymen from PKR to join Umno on Sunday.

Muhammad, the former Selangor mentri besar, quit Umno in 2013 to join PAS. He then left PAS in 2015 to join PKR.

His re-entry into Umno was announced by Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Sunday.

From the frenzied and high profile welcome back given to Muhammad, Iskandar noted that it could be a sign that Najib had lost confidence in Tan Sri Noh Omar, who had been critical of Selangor housing issues since he was appointed the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister last June.

Iskandar noted that Muhammad would not have much impact on Selangor as many has forgotten his name.

“We are in different times now, and actually there have been three mentris besar after he left. He did not have any position while he was in PAS or PKR, maybe that was why he was not happy,” he added.