PKR, DAP sticking to Wan Azizah as sole MB candidate
PKR and DAP are standing by their decision to nominate only Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the Selangor menteri besar candidate, despite the Selangor Sultan's decree that each party in Pakatan Rakyat submit three names to him.
They said the sultan had last year accepted Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim as the sole candidate for the MB’s post, despite similarly requesting more than one nominee.
"Because of that, PKR and DAP uphold the sultan's decree and will present Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah's candidacy for the sultan's consideration, in line with the convention practised by PR in 2013, as she has the support of at least 30 assemblymen," the two parties said in a joint statement today.
The statement was signed by PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and DAP publicity chief Tony Pua.
On August 17, the PR presidential council had announced Dr Wan Azizah as the sole candidate to replace Khalid, who had been sacked from PKR on August 9 for defying party orders to step down.
But several PAS members were unhappy with the decision and felt a second candidate was necessary in case the palace objected to her candidacy.
The Islamist party had originally proposed that both Dr Wan Azizah and her deputy, Azmin Ali, be considered as candidates.
But Azmin was bound by his party's decision to nominate only Dr Wan Azizah and had already signed a statutory declaration supporting her as menteri besar.
Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said yesterday a letter nominating only his wife for the position had been sent to the palace, and was signed by himself, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu.
However, Khalid told reporters today neither the letter nor Dr Wan Azizah's candidacy was brought up during his audience with the sultan this afternoon.
Khalid said the sultan wanted PAS, DAP and PKR leaders to each submit at least three names for his consideration.
"This has been the palace's convention not just during PR's time, but even during Barisan Nasional's time," he said.
PKR and DAP confirmed in their statement that the sultan had acted according to convention when he requested multiple names be submitted to him.
"The Sultan of Selangor had also decreed that each party from PR nominate more than one candidate when appointing the menteri besar in 2013," they said, citing a letter on May 7.
"After taking into account the Sultan of Selangor and the convention that was practised before this in appointing the menteri besar, the PR parties nominated only one name which was Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim for the sultan's consideration in 2013.
"The nomination was consented and accepted by the Selangor Sultan."
A copy of the May 7, 2013 letter, addressed to PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, the late Karpal Singh who was then DAP chairman, and Dr Wan Azizah, revealed that the palace had requested four menteri besar candidates from the coalition.
"The Selangor Sultan has decreed that the leaders of PAS, PKR and DAP convene to propose four names as Selangor menteri besar candidates to make it easier for the sultan to make a decision and consent to the appointment of any candidate he believes is qualified to become the menteri besar," wrote the sultan's private secretary, Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani. – August 26, 2014.
