A meeting between PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang in Terengganu yesterday failed to solve the impasse in the Selangor menteri besar crisis.

 

Sources close to a senior PAS leader confirmed with Malaysiakini that an agreement could not be reached between the two top leaders.

 

Anwar (left) proposes to install his wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the new MB in place of the embattled Khalid Ibrahim, but PAS has so far not supported this move.

 

As such, a variety of options are still open for PAS, but no definitive decision is expected to be made before Aug 17, when the party's central committee meets.

 

"No decision, let that options remain open and a final decision will be made on Sunday," the source said.

 

“It’s not like we really want to be in the current government but we are taking part to ensure ensure government smooth so the people won't face hardship."

 

Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported that one of the options for PAS would be to back Selangor PKR chief Azmin Ali as MB, should PKR agree to submit his name as an alternative to Wan Azizah (left) .

 

Anwar described the meeting as " good " when met by reporters in Terengganu. 

 

The meeting, which took place at a hotel in Kuala Ibai, near Kuala Terengganu, went on for more than an hour and was also attended by PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali, Hadi's political secretary Ahmad Samsuri Moktar and PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution.

 

PAS' political bureau will meet this Thursday, Aug 14, and then table its decisions and findings to the Aug 17 meeting.

The Aug 17 meeting is likely to decide the fate of Selangor's leadership, and also possibly, Pakatan Rakyat's future as a coalition.

Alternate candidate

 

Meanwhile, a source from PKR leadership said that PAS has proposed to Anwar to submit another name apart from Wan Azizah for the MB post.

 

It remains to be seen whether this will pan out, as the information comes from those close to Azmin (right) , who has long harboured hopes of becoming the next Selangor MB.

There appears to be more than a glimmer of hope for the PKR deputy president, after the Selangor palace today revealed it refused a request for an audience between Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Wan Azizah.

 

However, PKR stategist director Rafizi Ramli insisted that the party is sticking with Wan Azizah despite the royal snub.

"There are none others. PKR and DAP have unanimously stated that there will be no other names.

"I can clearly say that there will be no other names other than Wan Azizah and it has been decided," he told Malaysiakini .

 

Earlier today, The Malaysian Insider claimed that a leaked WhatsApp message by a former PAS central committee member confirmed the failure of the meeting.

The message purportedly went on to say that the scenario outlined by Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki in a controversial message in a chat group during Hari Raya would be "likely" used.

 

In that message, Zuhdi had proposed that PAS team up with Umno and Khalid to keep Khalid as MB, while enticing one unnamed PKR state assemblyperson to support Khalid.

Already, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang (above) has claimed of a bid to get Pakatan elected representatives to defect to the pro-Khalid faction, warning that it will ultimately break up the federal opposition coalition.

This would give a slim majority to an Independent-PAS-Umno coalition government in Selangor. 

 

For this to happen, however, PAS would have to leave Pakatan.

Additional reporting by Zulaikha Zulkifli