Vice chief of Pas Youth Mohd Khairil Nizam Khiruddin has come out saying that the Islamist party has not ruled out the possibility of terminating its involvement in the Pakatan Rakyat political coalition, when the time is right.
However, Mohd Khairil he did not see that happening in the near future.
“When cooperating with other parties, there will always be belligerent actors. It comes down to how patient we are, and when the time is right, I believe and am confident PAS will leave PR.
“History has shown that when it comes to leaving a coalition, it is not PAS that exits but other parties. We remain loyal, and whatever PAS may decide to do on its own, all our actions are in accordance with our pact with our partners in PR or any other partnership we enter,” he said in an interview with Sinar Harian‘s Raziatul Hanum A Rajak.
Khairil’s mention of other partners leaving is likely a reference to the short-lived Barisan Alternatif coalition, which fell apart when DAP exited in 2001.
PAS has come under fire from its PR partners of late, following its refusal to toe the coalition line in endorsing PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for the post of Selangor Menteri Besar, a post which has since been filled by PKR deputy president Azmin Ali.
While PKR and DAP both submitted only one name – Wan Azizah’s – to the Selangor royal palace for Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah’s consideration, PAS moved to submit three names, and chose not to nominate Wan Azizah at all.
Keadilan Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad had also called on PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to retract his public statement that Wan Azizah was unqualified to be Selangor MB, and to respect the decision of his own party’s central committee and that of the PR governing council.
Abdul Hadi denied that his refusal to endorse Wan Azizah was due to a question of gender, but one of credibility and bona fides, a reference to her being PR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim’s wife and the perception that she would be under Anwar’s control as an MB.
