PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said the power to decide on who should be menteri besar lies with him and not the party’s central committee.

In a briefing to party supporters in Marang yesterday, Hadi said this had always been the precedent in the past.

“Since 1978 when I was in the PAS central committee, the appointment of menteri besar had never been referred to the central committee. The PAS president is the one who makes the decision.

“The PAS constitution says the president has the right to make decisions concerning the party and party members including the deputy and vice-presidents should support the president’s decision,” he said.

Hadi drew parallels to the situation in Kelantan when PAS won power in 1990 and then-party president Fadzil Noor decided to have Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat as menteri besar.

“We immediately decided on the appointment and sent the letter, Fadzil signed it and there was no need for the PAS central committee,” he said.

“When PAS won power in Terengganu in 1999, a central committee was not called, the top leader made the decision as time was short,” he said.

Hadi’s remarks came after his office went against the PAS central committee’s decision and submitted its own names as candidates for Selangor menteri besar to the state palace.

Malaysiakini understands that the list omitted the names of PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her deputy Azmin Ali, which was decided by the PAS central committee.

‘PAS can’t be stupid’

It also included a PAS candidate despite the Islamic party’s insistence that it did not want the menteri besar post from PKR.

The PAS syura council has since admitted to overruling the central committee on the candidate list.

However, during the briefing which was uploaded on YouTube, Hadi was coy about the exact names in the list submitted to the palace, stating that “only Allah and the sultan” knew.

Hadi said PAS was forced to decide on its own names as PKR and DAP was insistent on only nominating one name (Wan Azizah) despite the Selangor palaces request for more than two names.

“If we only submit one name, Tuanku has written a letter asking for more than two names, people will say we don’t understand.

“Is PAS to ask its leaders to be stupid? We were asked for more than two names but we send one?

“PAS leaders are not at that level,” he said.

He added that the sultan should have a choice and the monarch should not be treated like “deadwood”.