13 PAS reps won’t sign SD supporting Wan Azizah, says Mustafa Ali

PAS's remaining 13 Selangor ‎assemblymen will not sign the statutory declaration (SD) supporting PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the menteri besar, the Islamist party's secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali said today

He also refused to confirm if PAS was standing by the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) presidential council's decision to nominate Dr Wan Azizah as the sole candidate to replace Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

"The special central committee meeting on August 25 agreed to leave it to the wisdom of the Sultan of Selangor to determine the Selangor menteri besar‎ position," said Mustafa after attending a meeting at the PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

When asked about the statutory declaration, already signed by DAP and PKR state assemblymen as well as two PAS representatives, ‎Mustafa said it was not an issue.

"It was mentioned (in the meeting), but it is no longer an issue.

"When you ask if we will sign, when I say it is not an issue, that means no," said Mustafa when pressed further on the matter.

Thirty of PR Selangor assemblymen had signed the SD on August 14, confirming that Dr Wan Azizah had the backing of a majority of the assemblymen.

This included PAS's Hulu Klang assemblyman Saari Sungib and Morib assemblyman Hasnul Baharuddin.

However, PAS previously held out on declaring its position, and said it was investigating its two members for defying the party's orders.

PAS finally announced on August 17 that it wanted both Dr Wan Azizah and Azmin Ali's names to be submitted to the Sultan of Selangor.

But, the PR presidential council maintained later that day that Dr Wan Azizah was the pact's sole choice, sparking unhappiness among the Islamist party's members.

Party sources told The Malaysian Insider on Saturday that PAS would decide today whether to send the sultan a letter of support for Dr Wan Azizah.

But, Mustafa told reporters today that they did not want to be specific on the matter.

"We are making an open statement. When we say that we will leave it to the sultan, it means the sultan can choose," he said.

"We are not saying anything specific... You interpret it yourself."

Earlier today, opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim confirmed that the letter nominating his wife for the position had been sent to the palace.

He added that there was also no need for the coalition parties to send individual letters of nomination to the sultan. – August 25, 2014.