ENSURING their candidates stand in seats with straight fights at the next elections is PKR Selangor’s top priority, not the formation of a state-level Pakatan Harapan (PH) secretariat, said the party’s state deputy chairman.

Zuraida Kamarudin denied accusations by fellow PH member party Amanah that Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali was reluctant to form a state secretariat.

“There needs to be an agreement between all parties – PKR, DAP, Amanah, Bersatu and PAS – for straight fights,” Zuraida told The Malaysian Insight.

“It’s not right for Amanah to say Azmin does not want to form PH. Discussions are already under way, we just haven’t launched it. In my opinion, the launch is not that important.”

The Ampang MP said PKR has been holding separate meetings with DAP, Amanah and PAS. She said the party will be meeting Bersatu soon.

“We just haven’t had a joint meeting involving all four parties.”

Zuraida said PKR was now focused on keeping its hold on Selangor, which the party has been leading since 2008.

“We are also thinking about the survival of Amanah and Bersatu in Selangor because they are new parties,” said the Wanita PKR chief.

The Malaysian Insight reported yesterday that Amanah Selangor leaders are urging Azmin, who is also deputy president of PKR, to stop courting PAS to form a loose alliance at the 14^th general election, but to focus on the formation of a state-level PH secretariat to prepare for GE14.

Amanah chairman Izham Hashim said DAP, Amanah and Bersatu have agreed to set up the secretariat, but its formation has been delayed because of PKR.

What’s holding Azmin back?

Analysts believe Azmin is in no hurry to form the PH state secretariat because there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the coalition, such as an agreement on the national-level leadership line-up.

“PH at the national level has yet to reach a consensus on who will head this opposition bloc and who is their candidate for prime minister,” executive director of Ilham Centre Hisommudin Bakar told The Malaysian Insight.

“Azmin’s political principle is to keep open any possibility for negotiation.”

Hisommuddin said that Azmin has not shut the door on cooperating with PAS because he sees the benefits of teaming up with the Islamist party against Barisan Nasional (BN).

Veteran political analyst Mohamad Abu Bakar said there were other factors and influences also causing Azmin to delay the formation of the PH secretariat, and to continue courting PAS in Selangor.

“There might be the influence of the Selangor Istana. There is also the factor of the masses who want him to keep the status quo,” said the former head of Universiti Malaya’s International and Strategic Studies.

Amanah’s Izham said Azmin’s fear of losing Selangor in GE14 because of the loss of support from PAS was unwarranted.

“There is a lot of research, such as those conducted by Invoke, showing that Selangor will not be lost, even without PAS.

“At the national level, we may have to work harder. But in Selangor, we may win fewer seats than before, but we will still be able to defend it,” he said. – July 5, 2017.