Wan Azizah still awaiting reply from sultan - Malaysiakini

 

VIDEO | 3.18 min

EXCLUSIVE PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is still awaiting a reply from the sultan as to whether she would be granted an audience with the ruler.

Speaking to Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview today, Dr Wan Azizah said the palace has confirmed receipt of the request.

"At the moment, Datuk (Mohamad) Munir (Bani) says the request has been sent to him (the ruler) and we wait for the answer," she said, referring to Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah's private secretary.

This is Wan Azizah's second request for an audience with the sultan on the ongoing menteri besar crisis.

Her first request, made on her behalf by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, was rejected as the sultan said he had already heard about the matter from sitting Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

The sultan has cut short his trip overseas and is expected to return tomorrow.

It is understood that Khalid could have an audience with the ruler as early as Tuesday, fuelling speculations of a possible dissolution of the assembly and a snap poll.

PAS has revealed that its president Abdul Hadi Awang had an audience with the sultan more than three weeks ago, on July 31.

While the details of the meeting is not revealed, PAS Youth chief Suhaizan Kaiat said that it had led to PAS nominating both Wan Azizah and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali for the post.

Hadi's office later clarified that Azmin's name did not crop up during the audience, but Suhaizan had said that a second name was nominated in case of "eventualities between Wan Azizah and the palace".

Hadi's audience with sultan

Speaking at her sparsely-decorated office, Wan Azizah said that Pakatan Rakyat only found out about Hadi's audience "later", albeit before it hit headlines last week.

However, she believes that the PAS leader was not "hiding" it from the coalition.

Rather, she said, the audience happened during the Hari Raya break and was likely linked to the festivities.

“I think he met the sultan on the third or fourth day of (the Islamic month of) Syawal, so it was probably a (Hari) Raya meeting. Sometimes when you meet for Raya, you don’t have to tell.”

Asked if Hadi had briefed Pakatan on his audience with the sultan, she said that “maybe” Hadi told PKR de facto leader Anwar “as they (Pakatan leaders) deal with him, rather than with me”.

She also hinted that gender could be a factor in this, saying that when Hadi took over as president and Anwar got out of prison in 2004, she left it “to the men” to deal with the matter.

“He (Hadi), being a tok guru (revered scholar), I felt men will get it sorted out. But I suppose there are things that Ustaz Hadi figured... are to be and certain things are not to be,” she said, not going into specifics.

PAS’ revelation about Hadi’s audience with the sultan has given rise to speculation that the palace may not be keen on Wan Azizah.

Wan Azizah says that this is “touted by people” and “people can say what they want to say”.

“That is what the people have been talking about. They say Tuanku like this, Tuanku like that. I am waiting for an audience with him,” she said.

When speaking about being MB, the Kajang assemblyperson couches her sentences with word “if”.

Asked what hurdles she may face to become MB, Wan Azizah said that the ruler has his "preferences" for who will be the state's head of government.

However, when asked to clarify, Wan Azizah said, it would be better to give Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah the “benefit of the doubt” and not to second guess his position on the on-going menteri besar crisis.

“Well in our state, we have a ruler of the state. Tuanku is there, and he is a very educated ruler of the state. He does have some preferences, I suppose.

“The constitution says the leader of the majority will lead the state. I think that will weigh heavily on the Tuanku to consider.”

Pakatan’s Plan B

So what is the ‘Plan B’, if indeed what PAS is implying - that the sultan is not keen on Wan Azizah for reasons yet unknown - becomes true?

“Oh, then we have to go back to the party,” Wan Azizah said.

Candidates can only come from PKR, with PAS declining the seat and DAP not qualified as it has no Selangor assemblyperson who is Muslim and Malay - a requirement for an MB under the Selangor state constitution.

But will it be Azmin, the Selangor PKR chief who has served the party and as aide to Anwar for decades? Or will he be surpassed yet again?

Despite being leader of the Selangor backbenchers’ club, Azmin has never figured in PKR plans as the next menteri besar, making it necessary for the Kajang seat to be vacated to allow Anwar passage to replace Khalid.

Anwar’s sodomy conviction put a spanner in the works, and today, his wife’s chances to succeed Khalid appear to be in the hands of the palace.

Will Azmin finally be named if the palace takes a dim view of Wan Azizah?

“We go back to the Pakatan leadership to choose then,” she said.

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Interview by Aidila Razak, Kow Gah Chie and Ahmad Fadli KC.