KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 — PKR’s political bureau has not officially endorsed president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for the Permatang Pauh seat, a PKR leader said today, adding that the matter must still be deliberated by Pakatan Rakyat,
PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang admitted the suggestion was brought up during yesterday’s political bureau meeting, but stressed that the party must first confer de facto party leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is the current holder of the seat.
“I won’t confirm or deny this. But I just want to say there is no final decision on the matter yet.
“It has to be discussed with Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat first,” Chua told Malay Mail Online when contacted.
Dr Wan Azizah is currently Kajang state lawmaker. She was the Permatang Pauh MP from 1999 until 2008, when she gave up the federal seat in order to allow her husband Anwar to contest the seat.
Earlier today, a news report quoted unnamed PKR sources as saying that the party’s political bureau had endorsed Dr Wan Azizah as its candidate for Permatang Pauh.
A by-election has yet to be announced as Anwar has not been barred from holding the post.
Last week, the Federal Court upheld the Court of Appeal’s 2014 ruling that had reversed Anwar’s acquittal of sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, and sentenced the Permatang Pauh lawmaker to five years’ jail.
Anwar will be disqualified as MP and federal opposition leader within 14 days of his conviction unless he files a petition seeking a royal pardon.
