Just hours before Pakatan Rakyat officially decides on who it will pick as the new Selangor menteri besar, PKR Youth has come out in support of party deputy president Azmin Ali as an alternative to party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

"PKR Youth, in a meeting a while ago, agreed to propose to the PKR leadership council to re-consider PAS' proposal to have PKR deputy president Azmin Ali as a second candidate," the wing's secretary Julailey Jemadi said in a brief statement late this afternoon.

The endorsement is a renewed bid for PKR Youth to push for Azmin to be the next Selangor menteri besar.

Malaysiakini understands that PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar ( left ) had, prior to Wan Azizah's official nomination by the party on July 23, already proposed Azmin as another possible candidate but was turned down.

The PAS central committee, after almost two weeks of silence, decided today to abandon embattled Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

The Islamist party went on to nominate both Wan Azizah and Azmin as possible candidates to replace Khalid.

Prior to this, the party had supported Khalid, who was sacked by PKR on Aug 9 for refusing the party's instructions to step down as menteri besar.

A new hurdle for the coalition

Even though PAS has sided with Pakatan Rakyat, the coalition is now faced with a new hurdle – of choosing between Wan Azizah and Azmin.

Previously, PKR dismissed speculation that there were other possible candidates, insisting that Wan Azizah was the sole candidate for the post of Selangor menteri besar.

PKR and Pakatan are now  deliberating over the latest decision of PAS and are expected to announce the official decision of the coalition later this evening.

Meanwhile, PAS Youth chief Suhaizan Kaiat also lauded PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang for agreeing to side with Pakatan on Khalid.

"PAS Youth congratulates Hadi for succesfully chairing the PAS central committee which produced a dynamic outcome.

"The decision achieved today was unanimous, without any opposition," Suhaizan said in a statement.

Selangor crisis today

10.19am: An expected stand-off outside the PAS HQ fizzles after the Black Ribbon campaign cancels its protest as the PAS central committee convenes a long awaited meeting.

11.41am: Embattled Selangor MB Abdul Khalid Ibrahim's top strategist Faekah Husin likened PKR's accusation against her boss to a 'hatchet job' book on Anwar Ibrahim in 1998.

12.28pm: PAS central committee unanimously withdraws support for Khalid. The party nominates PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her deputy Azmin Ali as replacements.

12.58pm: Azmin is tight-lipped about his sudden nomination and says to pray for the best . PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution insists that Wan Azizah is the sole candidate for MB as previously decided by PKR.

2pm: Khalid says he accepts PAS' decision and will seek an audience with the Selangor sultan on how to proceed.

2.08pm: PKR Youth publicly endorses PAS' proposal for Azmin to be the alternative candidate for menteri besar, just hours before PKR's leadership meeting.

3pm: Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin mocks Pakatan Rakyat, claiming PAS' additional nomination of Azmin was a veiled stab at Anwar and PKR.

6pm: Sources tells Malaysiakini that PKR decided to stick with Wan Azizah over Azmin after more than two hours of deliberation by its leaders in Subang Jaya.

7.29pm: Pakatan, which held its meeting immediately after PKR's, confirms it will only propose Wan Azizah as menteri besar after discussing for around an hour.

8.24pm: Azmin says he will comply with PKR's decision to propose Wan Azizah as menteri besar and voices support for his boss despite his own nomination.