A PKR leader has resigned from the party’s political bureau in protest against its leadership’s stance of continuing to court Islamist party PAS into forming an electoral pact.

Selayang Member of Parliament William Leong said his letter of resignation was sent to the PKR leadership on Monday.

“I don’t agree that the party continues cooperating with PAS when it is clear that PAS already has an arrangement with Umno,” Leong, who is also a member of PKR’s Supreme Leadership Council (MPT), told The Malaysian Insight.

“I have given the reasons why I don’t agree with working together with PAS in my resignation letter.”

However, he said he was retaining his MPT position in the party.

PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar confirmed that the party has received Leong’s letter of resignation from the political bureau.

“We will find a way to resolve this problem,” the Lembah Pantai MP told The Malaysian Insight.

Following its party general assembly in April, PAS announced it will cut all political ties with PKR.

However, the party still remains in the Selangor government, which is led by PKR.

PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had said she was open to working with PAS in the coming 14^th general election to topple the Barisan Nasional government.

Dr Wan Azizah’s statement was released days after she, and PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali, visited PAS president Hadi Awang who at that time was recuperating from heart surgery at a hospital in Kuala Lumpur.

All three leaders had then shared photos of the visit on their respective social media pages.

PH is made up of PKR, DAP, Amanah and Bersatu. PAS is due to launch its own coalition next month named Gagasan Sejahtera, along with another opposition party Ikatan.

The Malaysian Insight understands that several PKR leaders are keen to work with PAS to avoid three-cornered fights in the elections, which they believe will hamper Pakatan Harapan’s chances of toppling BN.

However, the meeting between the top two PKR leaders and Hadi had created unease with several leaders in other PH component parties, especially Amanah.

Amanah vice-president Husam Musa had said PAS was not the “king maker” in the coming elections, adding that the party was at risk of destroying itself if it chose to stand in the next elections on its own.

Analysts have said PKR risks losing ethnic Chinese votes from Selangor if it continues to court PAS.

PAS representatives in Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan are trying to obtain autonomy from the central leadership in deciding whether to work with PH at the state level. – August 23, 2017.