HADI ACCUSES PKR OF BUYING OVER ROGUE PAS REPS

(Malay Mail Online) – An angry Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang today accused PKR of buying over the two rogue Selangor PAS assemblymen who supported Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s bid for the state mentri besar’s post, even labelling them “barua” (lackeys).

The PAS president questioned why Saari Sungib and Hasnol Baharuddin had signed statutory declarations in support of the PKR president when the PAS duo’s loyalty should be for the party above all else.

“They stole our assemblymen. They bought them over.

“We cannot take the situation lightly, they (Hasnol and Saari) have become brokers, they have become lackeys (barua),” Hadi said during his closing speech at the PAS annual muktamar here.

The Marang MP warned PAS delegates that the party’s interests should be the only priority and not the interests of PR allies.

“We cannot bring other people’s agenda into our party, we cannot,” he stressed to cheers and applause from the delegates.

Three Selangor Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers, including two from PAS’s list of candidates to the Sultan, were interviewed by the palace separately earlier this week on their potential to take on the post of mentri besar.

According to a report by The Star today, the three are PAS state executive councillors Iskandar Samad and Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi, and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali.

Citing sources, the English daily reported that the interviews, which took place at Istana Kayangan over the week, were believed to be part of the palace’s process of electing a replacement for outgoing incumbent Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.

The daily also reported sources saying that each meeting with the state ruler lasted more than one hour and that the three men were subsequently told to be on standby pending the palace’s decision on the matter, which is expected to be on Monday.

Iskandar, who is Selangor PAS commissioner and Cempaka assemblyman, and Dr Ahmad Yunus, PAS’s Sijangkang assemblyman, were two of the three individuals named by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang in the party’s list of potential mentri besar candidates to the Sultan.

Two days ago, the Selangor palace confirmed that a new mentri besar will take the oath of office next Tuesday, but refused to divulge the identity of the individual.

“Yes, it is true. Tuesday morning, the new mentri besar will be sworn in,” the Selangor Sultan’s private secretary, Datuk Munir Bani, told Malay Mail Online when contacted.

The news sent PR leaders into a tizzy and rumours on who the candidate would be began spreading like wildfire.

The senior PAS leadership has consistently stood apart from its PR allies in PKR’s intricate bid to replace Khalid with PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, leading to growing questions over its commitment to the pact and open calls for its exit.

The situation grew more intractable after Abdul Hadi unilaterally named three nominees for the post in accordance with the Sultan of Selangor’s request; PKR and DAP were adamant in naming only Dr Wan Azizah.

Late last night, in what is seen as PKR’s last ditch bid to install Dr Wan Azizah to the post, the party pleaded with the palace for an audience to convince the Sultan of their president’s support among state lawmakers.

The party pointed to the declared support that the PKR president previously secured from 30 state lawmakers in the Selangor assembly, which it insisted was clear proof that she commanded the majority support among the elected representatives.