Nik Aziz: PKR, DAP just hangers-on to PAS
(Malay Mail Online) – PAS spiritual advisor Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat has lashed out at allies PKR and DAP for criticising the Islamist party for breaking ranks in the Selangor mentri besar crisis, calling them hangers-on to the oldest party in the pact.
According to a report in Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia, the former Kelantan mentri besar said the two Pakatan Rakyat (PR) allies have no right to coerce PAS into going along with the plan to install PKR’s president as Selangor mentri besar.
He also insisted that they have no standing to insist that PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang retract his decision to unilaterally nominate three candidates for the post in accordance with the Selangor Sultan’s request.
“We are three parties that banded together to oppose Umno, and PAS is the ‘old bird’ (elder); PAS was brought into Kelantan in 1951 by (the late) Ustaz Amaluddin Darus, and I entered PAS in 1957 and became active.
“The others are hangers-on, DAP came later, PKR latched on later; PAS members have so much experience with others before that and faced all manner of challenges, so [Hadi] made a statement and this statement is from the decisions of various meetings prior to that,” Nik Aziz was quoted as saying in the Utusan report.
The PAS spiritual leader has been fiery in his criticism towards the party’s allies over the Selangor crisis, and yesterday dubbed PKR “spoiled brats” for attempting to foist the choice of Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail on its partners.
Two days ago, Hadi openly said the PKR president was not qualified to become mentri besar.
The senior PAS leadership has consistently stood apart from its PR allies in PKR’s intricate bid to replace Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim with Dr Wan Azizah, leading to growing questions over its commitment to the pact and open calls for its exit.
The situation grew more intractable after Hadi unilaterally named three nominees for the post in accordance with the Sultan of Selangor’s request; PKR and DAP were adamant in naming only Dr Wan Azizah.
The Selangor ruler yesterday accused the two parties of disobedience for failing to comply with the request for at least three names to be presented by each party for his selection, and said he will now also consider those not named by the pact in the search for a new mentri besar.
