SELANGOR Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali said PKR has not had formal talks with PAS on working together in the state.

The PKR deputy president said any overtures to the Islamist party would not be his personal initiative.

“I have said earlier that we have had no formal discussions with PAS. I must reiterate again, including to Malaysiakini. They keep saying that it was my initiative. Please, it is not my personal initiative.

“It was the decision taken by the party. I am only representing the party. The discussion is only between PKR and PAS, nothing to do with Pakatan Harapan. But we have not had a formal meeting,” he said today.

Azmin was asked to comment on PAS’ announcement earlier this week that it would be contesting 42 seats out of 56 in Selangor, which meant the Islamist party would also be gunning for seats currently held by PKR, leading to three-cornered fights.

The Selangor government is made up of 29 PH assemblymen and 13 from PAS. Barisan Nasional reps and two independent assemblymen hold the remaining 14 seats.

PAS and PKR were formerly political allies until ties were cut in May this year. Two years ago, PAS severed ties with DAP, causing the collapse of Pakatan Rakyat, the previous opposition pact.

“This is normal. All political parties are interested in contesting in any seat,” Azmin said.

“The issue can be solved through discussions. We will discuss with everyone, except Umno, Barisan Nasional and Utusan,” he said.

Three months ago, after PAS broke ties with PKR, Azmin said the Islamist party’s three reps in the Selangor executive council would keep their posts until the end of the term.

He also said the PKR leadership wanted to “keep the door open” for PAS. At that a time, many had demanded that PAS to resign all of its posts in the Selangor government. 

PKR has been trying to avoid three-cornered fights with Umno and PAS in the next polls, which could split votes to the benefit of Umno.

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

Her remark came several days after she and Azmin visited PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, who was recuperating from heart surgery at a hospital in Kuala Lumpur. 

Last Monday, Selayang MP William Leong resigned from PKR’s political bureau in protest over his party’s continuing courtship of PAS. 

The PKR supreme leadership council member said he did not agree with his party cooperating with PAS when it was clear that the Islamist party already had an arrangement with Umno.

PAS vice-president Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah had said his party would not discuss seat allocations for the 14th general election with PKR.  – August 26, 2017.