Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is appealing to PAS to abide by the Aug 17 Pakatan Rakyat leadership council decision for each party to only send in one name for the post of Selangor menteri besar.

Anwar, who is also the Permatang Pauh MP, said this would be the correct precedent, where each party sends only one name to the Selangor palace.

"We will appeal to them, as how we move on in Pakatan. We move on based on the collective decision of the leadership council of Pakatan that met and decided on Aug 17," he said.

Anwar said this when asked to comment on the PAS decision to submit names of three PKR candidates for the post of menteri besar to the Selangor palace.

He said there has not been any request for any subsequent meeting on the matter and as a result of this, the Aug 17 decision still stands where each party will submit one name, as was done in 2008 and 2013.

Asked what would happen if PAS sticks on submitting more than one name, the opposition leader said he would not want to pre-empt to such a scenario but was appealing to PAS to abide by the Aug 17 decision.

Anwar added the final decision was reached by the Pakatan leadership council on Aug 17, and the coalition’s legal team advised them to follow through all that had been thrashed out at that meeting.

Furthermore, he said, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had written to seek an audience with the Selangor Sultan and has also submitted the 30 statutory declarations backing her for the post of menteri besar.

“This is ample proof of evidence that a legislative assemblyperson is having the support of the House,” he said.

Anwar reiterated that the Pakatan partners should abide by convention in sending one name as this is a convention practised by others.

“I am guided by the decision of the leadership council. The meeting was attended by all three party leaders and I consider that decision as final,” he said.

Pakatan should remain formidable

Pakatan, Anwar said must remain strong and not become divisive as a result of this issue.

“If this happens, then it will be the first time in the history of Pakatan that there is no consensus to forward one name, as what had been decided in a meeting attended by all three parties,” he said.

Asked whether action would be taken on PAS if it does not respect the decision, Anwar replied, “Of course not ,but we have to respect the decision of all member parties and we will appeal to accept the fact in the spirit of the Pakatan coalition.”

The present scenario, he said showed a lack of consensus or a breach of the understanding amog the Pakatan members.

Anwar said it would be premature to describe the differences as the end of Pakatan, but the general consensus among the three parties, PAS, PKR and DAP, is to make sure Pakatan remains formidable.

No request to hold another meeting

Anwar added there was still room to negotiate with PAS, before the Sept 3 deadline for the submission of names for the menteri besar post to the Selangor palace.

He said there has been no request as at present for another Pakatan leadership council meeting.

He hopes that there will be understanding among the Pakatan partners, that when the decision is for the PKR candidate, it will be respected by all.

“Is it because the candidate (Wan Azizah) is a woman and (PAS) is not willing to accept women leaders?” asked the Permatang Pauh MP.

“Say we submit two or three names to the Yang di Pertuan Agong as prime minister, for the Agong to decide who will be the prime minister. If that is judicially accepted, then all states can do that. I don't think it is the correct decision,” he said.

“I do respect the intention of the palace on the submission of names, but it is always our duty also to advice accordingly.”

Rafizi: Honour Pakatan meeting

Meanwhile, PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli expressed hope that PAS would honour the Pakatan consensus to put forth only one candidate.

“We will stick with the Pakatan leadership council's decision, in which PAS also agreed to name only one candidate - PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

“Anything other than that is not Pakatan's consensus,” Rafizi ( right ) told Malaysiakini when met at the Petaling Jaya Court today where he was being charged with issuing “defamatory and provocative” statements.

Asked about PAS's latest decision to name three PKR candidates for the MB post, as requested by the palace, Rafizi said that he would leave the matter in the hands of the PAS leadership.

“It is up to PAS. We leave the matter with the party's wise leaders,” he said.

Selangor crisis today

8.28am: Gerakan urges PKR and DAP to not insist on Wan Azizah as it will only prolong the crisis and their goal to unseat Khalid has been reached.

12.58pm: Anwar urges PAS to respect the Pakatan leadership council’s Aug 17 decision to only nominate Wan Azizah

1pm: Umno MP Shamsul Anuar Nasarah says the crisis is prolonged because Pakatan has no direction

2.46pm: Former MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek says Anwar will control Selangor if Wan Azizah is MB

4.26pm: Law professors say acceding to the sultan's decree for multiple candidates will put the sultan in a tight spot as only Wan Azizah commands majority support.

 

5.30pm: PAS snubs Anwar’s appeal that PAS submit only Wan Azizah’s name, and will include PKR deputy president Azmin Ali’s name, too

6.15pm: After PAS says it doesn’t want to force the sultan to choose Wan Azizah, PKR points out that PAS didn’t mind forcing the palace in 2008 and 2013