THE DECISION IN SELANGOR MAY MEAN THE COLLAPSE OF PENANG

So there you have it. Azmin chooses PAS and the Palace is happy but Penang collapses. Azmin chooses DAP and Penang is saved but he upsets HRH the Sultan. Now you know what stuck between a rock and a hard place means.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The impression being given is that DAP is pissed with PAS because of its recalcitrance regarding the Islamic Shariah law of Hudud. That is actually not true. The beginning of the break in relationship between DAP and PAS was because of Azmin Ali.

DAP, and PKR as well, of course, wanted Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to replace Khalid Ibrahim as the Selangor Menteri Besar. So both DAP and PKR proposed just one name to HRH the Sultan of Selangor — that of Dr Wan Azizah. PAS, however, proposed two names — Azmin Ali and Dr Wan Azizah — thus allowing HRH to appoint Azmin instead of Dr Wan Azizah as the MB.

This pissed off DAP big time but they could not use this as the excuse to whack PAS or else it would be seen as if DAP is passing a sort of vote of no confidence against Azmin.

Having a weak Menteri Besar like Dr Wan Azizah would serve DAP’s interest whereas someone like Azmin, who has a mind of his own, does not. And this is the main reason why HRH wanted Azmin instead of Dr Wan Azizah. HRH did not want a puppet as the Menteri Besar, especially one that already confessed she does not mind being a puppet.

Last night PKR’s Biro Politik met to discuss DAP’s announcement that Pakatan Rakyat has now ceased to exist. Azmin, who had a prior engagement, did not attend the meeting, though. PKR is not telling us just yet what the Biro Politik decided because they have to run it by Azmin first before making any official announcement.

Azmin is Menteri Besar because of PAS. Would Azmin, therefore, choose to partner with DAP instead of PAS? Without the support of PAS, Azmin would not be MB. If left to DAP, Dr Wan Azizah would be the MB instead.

So who will Azmin choose as PKR’s partner in Selangor, DAP or PAS?

Now, if Azmin chooses DAP then he would be selling out PAS that made him MB. Would Azmin do that to the party that made him MB? Azmin also has the Palace to contend with. Can the Palace agree to a DAP-PKR alliance that will effectively put DAP in charge in Selangor with its 15 seats against PKR’s 13?

Azmin will have to request an audience with HRH the Sultan before he makes his decision whether to partner with DAP or PAS. The Selangor Sultan would not do what the Johor Crown Prince did by openly making a political statement but Azmin’s own people have whispered that if a divorce were unavoidable then HRH would prefer PAS to DAP.

Say Azmin chooses PAS, the party that made him MB and the party that HRH prefers as PKR’s partner in Selangor, what would happen to Penang?

Pakatan Rakyat has 30 seats in Penang against Barisan Nasional’s ten. But only 19 seats are controlled by DAP while PKR controls ten and PAS one. Because of Azmin’s decision in Selangor to go with PAS, DAP would have to cut ties with PKR and that would reduce DAP to less than half the seats in the Penang State Assembly.

Maybe two or more of the ten PKR State Assemblyperson can resign from their party and declare themselves independents or join DAP but DAP will have to steal at least two PKR State Assemblypersons to keep the Penang government.

If none of the ten PKR State Assemblypersons turn traitor or cannot be bought off for RM5 million apiece then the Pakatan Rakyat Penang State Government collapses. However, I am sure that at least two PKR people can be bought off for RM5 million or RM10 million per person.

So there you have it. Azmin chooses PAS and the Palace is happy but Penang collapses. Azmin chooses DAP and Penang is saved but he upsets HRH the Sultan. Now you know what stuck between a rock and a hard place means.