Mat Sabu sees no problem with Selangor MB change
PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu appears open to a change of leadership in the Selangor government, saying such changes are nothing new.
PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu appears open to a change of leadership in the Selangor government, saying such changes are nothing new.
"Even if there is a change in leadership, there should be no problem. It happened in Terengganu and the media did not make a fuss," Mat Sabu ( right ) said when met at a buka puasa event in Kepala Batas yesterday.
However, he said, the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council has yet to discuss the issue of replacing Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.
Pakatan, he said should make a speedy decision on the matter before the situation is further exploited by the coalition's enemies.
"In any case, and whatever the decision, whether there will be a change in the menteri besar or not should be done quickly," said Mat Sabu, who is also Penang PAS commissioner.
"It has to be done as soon as possible or else there will be implications for Pakatan as we prepare for the 14th general election.
"Our opponents are just waiting to use this opportunity to hit us in a very negative matter," he stressed.
Mat Sabu said this when asked about a TV news channel Astro Awani report that said DAP and PAS supported PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali's bid for the menteri besar post, adding that the final decision would be made by PKR adviser Anwar Ibrahim.
The report quoted sources claiming that PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail ( below ), who has been touted to take over the post from Khalid, would be dropped because PAS leaders were not in favour of a woman menteri besar.
Mat Sabu denied the report, saying that Pakatan has yet to seriously discuss any need for a change of the Selangor menteri besar.
"News like this can be published as Pakatan is not the federal government and we don't control Astro Awani ," he quipped.
However, Mat Sabu said the issue was raised in PAS and "we listened to the various views from the party's Selangor representatives", some of whom wanted a change and others who said there was no need for it.
"The PAS central leadership has yet to make any decision on this matter," he added.
On claims that Wan Azizah was not suitable to be the menteri besar as she is female and that her menstrual cycle would be an obstacle, as initially reportedly claimed by Umno lawyer Mohd Hafarizam Harun, Mat Sabu shot back: "Why insult a woman?
"There is no obstacle for a woman to be menteri besar. The Selangor sultan can carry on, should a female menteri besar be unable to enter the mosque, for he has done things alone before."
On whether PAS would be asking for the post of deputy menteri besar should there be a change in leadership in Selangor, Mat Sabu said: "There are many options that can be discussed. However, we have not even decided whether there should be a change."
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