Relinquish posts in PKR-led government, Pas exco members told
KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan leaders yesterday took a swipe at Pas for remaining in the Selangor state government despite officially severing ties with PKR.
They also urged the three Pas executive council members in the PKR-led government to relinquish their posts.
“If (there is) no political relationship (with PKR), why are you (Pas) in a coalition government?
“(Go) sit in (the) opposition with Umno,” said DAP national publicity chief Tony Pua on Facebook yesterday.
The Petaling Jaya Utara member of parliament roundly criticised Selangor Pas for refusing to leave the state government until the next general election.
The three Pas exco members are Datuk Iskandar Abdul Samad, who is the housing, building management and urban settlement committee chairman; Zaidy Abdul Talib (state infrastructure, public amenities and agro-based industry) and Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (Islamic Affairs).
They are part of the state administration helmed by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, who is also PKR deputy president.
Pas holds 13 seats in the state legislative assembly.
In a recent statement, Selangor Pas commissioner Sallehen Mukhyi said the decision to remain in the state government was made out of respect for the people’s mandate in the last general election.
Parti Amanah Negara (PAN) communications director Khalid Abdul Samad also urged the three Pas exco members to resign from their posts.
“There are people who said PAN is a ‘shameless’ party. Is this true? (But) it is not us who divorced (PKR). We are still living together.
“(Pas) severs ties but still has a connection (with PKR)?” said the Shah Alam MP on Twitter yesterday.
Meanwhile, PKR vice-presidents Tian Chua and Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said they supported party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s stand on the matter.
Dr Wan Azizah had said the Selangor government would carry on “as usual” despite the split between PKR and Pas.
DAP vice-chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw and DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke, when contacted yesterday, declined to comment on the issue.
They said the matter should be resolved between PKR and Pas.
The Selangor legislature is made up of 14 DAP, 13 PKR, 13 Pas, 11 Umno, two PAN and two independent representatives.
In Padang Terap, Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the decision by the Pas Syura Council to cut ties with PKR was “unsurprising”.
“The decision is not shocking because Pas delegates had unanimously supported the motion to end the party’s ties with PKR.
“The Syura Council has made it clear that PKR breached their three terms in the tahaluf siyasi (political cooperation),” he said after launching the national-level Shields — a drug abuse prevention programme for secondary school students — at Kolej Mara Kuala Nerang here yesterday.
Mahdzir said Umno would focus on strengthening its machinery instead of relying on the opposition’s weakness to win the next general election.
Kedah Umno Youth chief Datuk Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin praised the Pas Syura Council for respecting the wishes of its party members.
“Umno Youth is confident that the council’s decision will help restore Pas’s image as a party that upholds Islam, especially after it was dragged into issues with the DAP and PKR leaderships,” he said in a statement yesterday.