Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak has offered to stay out of the 13th general election, which must be called by May next year, to make way for a younger candidate to take over from him.

The Star and Berita Harian reported today that the offer did not mean Azizan intended to quit but merely to highlight the fact that he has served as an assemblyperson for a long time.

The 72 year old Azizan, who has been a state assemblyperson since 1995, said that the final decision was for the PAS central leadership to make.

"I hope a younger man will take my place but it doesn't mean that I have decided to quit. It is only my wish to see a new leader take my place," he was quoted as saying by The Star .

Azizan's leadership in the northern state has been in the spotlight in recent months following the fallout with several executive councillors in his administration.

String of controversies

The latest in a string of controversies was recent decision by the state legislative assembly to amend an enactment and give absolute power to the state mufti and fatwa committee.

The amendment, passed on April 17, bars people from questioning fatwa (edicts) in any civil or Syariah courts.

NONE Prior to that, assemblypersons Phahrolrazi Zawawi ( left ) and Ismail Salleh refused to stay on as executive councillors under Azizan's administration, claiming that he had failed in his duties as menteri besar.

However, following intervention by the PAS' central committee, a steering committee was set up to oversee Azizan's administration, with the dissenting exco members sworn in to continue their duties in on April 5.

Opposition supporters were also vexed over Azizan's hardline stand on the five students suspended from state-owned Kolej Universiti Insaniah (Kuin) last year for protesting against the use of the institution's religious teaching block to house a smart school.

The debacle had resulted in a clash between Azizan and his Pakatan colleagues, raising doubts over the opposition coalition's commitment to academic freedom as promised in their election manifesto, Buku Jingga .