‘Business as usual’ for Selangor MB, PAS excos

Azmin Ali regrets unilateral decision of PAS to sever ties with PKR, says it lets down people’s aspiration for change.

RAWANG: It was “business as usual” today when two Selangor PAS excos joined Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali at the opening of a mosque here, one day after the Islamist party’s Syura Council confirmed the final break in ties with PKR.

The excos, Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi and Zaidy Abdul Talib, were present with Azmin at the official opening of the Perodua mosque by Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

Yunus was seen chatting amicably with Azmin.

Earlier this morning, Azmin called a meeting with the three PAS excos in his administration and the new PAS Selangor commissioner, Sallehen Mukhyi.

He told reporters later that he was disappointed with the decision of the PAS Syura Council, which he said was letting down the people who aspired for change in the country.

“I regret that PAS made the decision on its own,” he added.

The Syura Council endorsed the decision to sever political cooperation with PKR, which was unanimously agreed upon at the PAS muktamar held in Kedah late last month.

PAS accused PKR, its ally since 1999, of betraying their mutual agreement on a number of issues, including not supporting PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s initiative to enhance the sentencing powers of the shariah courts and cooperating with PAS’ political enemies to topple the PAS-led state government in Kelantan.

PKR has denied the accusations.

PAS was also angered by PKR’s support for Amanah, a PAS splinter party, in the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections which PAS lost.

Besides the three excos – Ahmad, Zaidy and Iskandar Abdul Samad – and the position of the deputy speaker of the state assembly, the party also has a large number of its grassroots leaders holding posts at the local government level in Selangor. -FMT