Row continues - PAS may take back seats 'lent' to PKR

The row between Selangor Menteri Besar Mohd Azmin Ali and PAS has deepened with the latter stating it might take back the seats purportedly lent to PKR in the last election.

According to Utusan Malaysia, PAS research centre director Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki was reported saying this would be the case if the Islamist party's upcoming muktamar decides to cut ties with PKR.

“We will not rule out the possibility of taking back all the seats in Selangor, including PKR seats.

“At this moment we still have ties with PKR, and we need to wait until the muktamar to make the decision. If we cut ties (with PKR), not only in Selangor, but we will take back all the seats nationwide,” he said.

While PAS has cut ties with former Pakatan Rakyat partner DAP, it has maintained relations with PKR particularly in the PKR-led Selangor government, which comprises excos from all three parties.

However, acrimony between PAS and PKR heightened over the past week after PAS Youth chief Nik Abduh Nik Aziz and Azmin butted heads over control of Selangor.

Zuhdi gained notoriety in 2014 during the Selangor menteri besar crisis that year, when leaked messages showed him suggesting that PAS team up with Umno in Selangor and at the expense of non-Muslims.

At the time, PAS rejected PKR’s move to replace then menteri besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim with PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

After months of tension, Azmin was eventually selected to replace Khalid.

'Thank Azmin for posts'

In a related development, Selangor PKR Wanita chief Haniza Talha slammed PAS Selangor councillor Wan Hasrina Wan Hassan for jumping into the verbal war between PAS leaders and Azmin.

Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) councillor Wan Hasrina was reported by several online websites as saying Azmin had forgotten his roots (kacang lupakan kulit) in attacking PAS.

She was also reported praising Nik Abduh for magnamity despite his defeat at the division polls.

Haniza said Wan Hasrina as a councillor is “directly responsible for upholding the good working relationship between the coalition parties” and should not “set out to smear or discredit the Selangor government or the menteri besar in any way”.

“We are of the opinion that Wan Hasrina does not represent PAS as such disgraceful comments do not reflect the spirit of cooperation that PAS has enjoyed with Pakatan Harapan,” she said in a statement today.

She reminded the PAS grassroots leader that Azmin had become the menteri besar not solely on the grace of PAS, as had been claimed, but with the support of 28 Harapan representatives “out of which, none were from PAS”.

“And even so, representatives from PAS still hold state executive councillor posts at the generosity of the menteri besar,” said Haniza, who is the Taman Medan assemblyperson.

“PKR Wanita hopes that Wan Hasrina reflects on her words and retract them immediately.

“There are proper channels to air her dissatisfaction rather than trying to score points with Nik Abduh, who is seen to be aligned to Umno,” she added.- Mkini