PAS cannot interfere in Kedah matters, says MB

By Clara Chooi

March 10, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak has said PAS leaders have “no right” to interfere in the state’s administrative matters.

As such, the party’s newly-formed steering committee cannot limit his powers as mentri besar, Berita Harian quoted Azizan(picture) as saying in a front-page article.

“We have to follow the state’s Constitution... the steering committee is only to offer views and advice on a personal basis.

“To me, anyone can give advice,” he was quoted as saying by the Malay dailiy.

The mentri besar reportedly added that he was unaware of the committee’s terms of reference or its members and would not comment further until more details were made known.

He was speaking at a press conference after entertaining a visit to Kedah by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at his residence in Jalan Sultanah, Alor Star yesterday.

The PAS central leadership announced the formation of the committee on Monday as part of the party’s efforts to resolve the ongoing revolt in the Kedah administration under Azizan.

The committee, said PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali, was to monitor and offer input to any PAS-led government such as Kedah or any state administration to which its leaders are attached.

The party had also ordered its two rebel Kedah elected representatives — Datuk Phahrolrazi Mohd Zawawi and Datuk Dr Ismail Salleh — to rejoin the state’s executive council and decided that Azizan, who is at the centre of the crisis, should proceed in his duties as mentri besar.

Mustafa said the party leadership would determine the members of the steering committee at its coming meeting on Monday.

Following Monday’s decision, Phahrolrazi was reported in the media as saying that the committee would function as the highest decision-making body and any future crisis occurring in the state executive council could be resolved by it.

“He referred to which law... we follow the state Constitution,” Azizan was quoted as saying in Berita Harian, when asked to comment on Phahrolrazi’s remarks.

Anwar, who was also present at yesterday’s press conference with Azizan, reportedly confirmed that the committee would only serve as an adviser and could not curb the mentri besar’s powers.

The Kedah PR government has been in disarray ever since both state PAS deputy commissioners Phahrolrazi and Ismail rejected their reappointments to the state executive council (exco), leaving just eight instead of 10 members being sworn in two weeks ago.

Phahrolrazi had said he refused the appointment as he could no longer work with Azizan and their differences had reached a “critical” level.