Azmin denies possible state assembly dissolution amid PAS-DAP spat

Mohamed Azmin Ali dismisses talk of a state election due to the PAS-DAP spat. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Seth Akmal, June 12, 2015.

Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali today shot down any possibility that the state assembly will be dissolved due to the ongoing spat between PAS and DAP.

The PKR deputy president said meetings with both parties are still ongoing to find a solution to the current imbroglio.

PAS, during its 61st muktamar, or annual congress, last week had approved a motion, without debate, to cut ties with DAP.

The decision has thrown the fate of the Selangor government, where PAS has 14 seats, DAP 15, PKR 13 and Barisan Nasional has 12, into uncertainty.

Azmin today said the matter is about the future of the coalition in Selangor and should not be dependant on any one party.

"No, it's not the issue," when asked about the possible dissolution.

The Malaysian Insider on Wednesday reported constitutional law expert Dr Abdul Aziz Bari saying that Selangor should call fresh elections in view of the current instability in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government.

Azmin, who is PKR's deputy president, holds the menteri besar's post based on consensus between the three partners, Aziz had said.

But the academic added that Azmin's position as menteri besar now was uncertain because of the discord in PR.

Aziz, however, said any decision on state polls would be at the discretion of the Selangor Sultan if there was a loss of confidence against the current government.

A similar view was held by former PAS central committee member Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, who said the cracks in PR were clear with the parties seen as attacking one another.

Dzulkefly, who was from the faction of "progressive" leaders in PAS, said if the sultan decided that the state government was no longer stable, he had the right to dissolve the assembly.

- TMI