PKR confirms letter sent to Palace following royal rebuke

PKR remained coy on the possibility of submitting at least three names for the Selangor Menteri Besar post but the party confirmed it had sent a letter to the Palace following a royal rebuke last week for only nominating its president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for the position.

Secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the letter was signed by president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and was submitted earlier today, in reply to the Palace's letter dated September 3.

"We have sent the letter to the Palace but I do not know the contents. All I know is that the letter was sent and it was acknowledged by the Palace," he said after attending the party's political bureau meeting tonight, adding that the meeting did not specifically discuss the issue of nominating more candidates for the post.

On September 3, the Selangor palace reprimanded PKR for submitting only one name, prompting the party to announce it would take "necessary and appropriate steps in the next 48 hours".

This follows Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah's decree that the three parties within Pakatan Rakyat (PR) submit more than two names, saying it was the palace's convention on the matter.

PAS had submitted three names, two from PKR and one from its own ranks, in a move that had strained ties between the Islamist party and its PR allies, PKR and DAP, who had all along insisted that Dr Wan Azizah is the only sole candidate for the state's top post.

PAS president, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, told a special briefing for the party on Friday that Dr Wan Azizah was not qualified, as she did not have the ability to debate questions in Parliament or the state assembly.

On Monday, the Sultan revealed he was extremely disappointed with PKR and DAP for defying the decree he made on August 27.

"DAP and Keadilan's actions reflect their insolence towards the royal institution and is treason towards the Selangor Sultan," said the statement issued by the Sultan's private secretary, Datuk Munir Bani.

Earlier today, both DAP and PKR apologised to the Sultan and reiterated their loyalty to the Palace but PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim insisted that his party's decision to propose only Dr Wan Azizah
was in line with past practice and according to the state's law and convention.

"Referring to the media statement by the Selangor palace media signed by the private secretary to the Sultan yesterday, we ask the Sultan's forgiveness if our decision to abide by the Selangor State Law and
convention since 1957 offended the feelings of the Sultan," Anwar had said in a statement today.

On the Pengkalan Kubor by-election which the party gave way to PAS to contest in the Kelantan state seat, Saifuddin said PKR's machinery in the state will help PAS in its campaign, with youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad playing a pivotal role.

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