PKR deputy president Azmin Ali today brushed aside rumours that he had refused to back party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as candidate for the new Selangor menteri besar.

 

After weeks of silence on the matter, Azmin today urged all quarters not to speculate on the matter.

 

"Who says so? Don't speculate," he said when asked about the rumours of his refusal to support Wan Azizah.

 

"I have stated in the (PKR) central leadership council (meeting) yesterday that we have a crisis and we need to be united in this crisis," he told journalists at PAS Hari Raya open house in Kuala Lumpur today.

 

However, Azmin (above) did not directly state whether he supported Wan Azizah or not.

 

PKR yesterday sacked Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim from the party for refusing to comply with an instruction to resign as the state's chief executive officer and make way for Wan Azizah.

 

Amid the bid to replace the embattled menteri besar, Azmin's name has cropped up among the deputy president’s supporters as an alternative to Wan Azizah.

 

However PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution at a press conference last Monday dismissed Azmin as a possible alternative, insisting that the party has officially nominated only Wan Azizah.

 

Social media speculation

 

Saifuddin at the press conference had also claimed Azmin had endorsed Wan Azizah's nomination in the PKR political bureau meeting.

 

Hours after Saifuddin's statement, Azmin took to Twitter criticising him for "making statements without first checking with him".

 

This prompted speculation that Azmin, who is also Bukit Antarabangsa state assemblyperson and Gombak MP, did not agree with Wan Azizah's (right) nomination.

 

Elaborating on the menteri besar crisis, Azmin stressed that Abdul Khalid's sacking from PKR was according to the party constitution.

 

He added exco members from PKR will remain in the state government for now despite Abdul Khalid's sacking.

 

Azmin also expressed confidence that the Pakatan Rakyat coalition will remain intact despite PAS dissent over Abdul Khalid's removal. DAP has endorsed PKR's bid to replace the menteri besar.

 

"We will come out of this crisis stronger and more stable," he said.

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