KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 — PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang today said it does not matter to him if he is not listed in Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) shadow cabinet, proposed yesterday by the opposition pact’s new parliamentary leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Abdul Hadi said it is far more important for PR to focus on winning Putrajaya and not be sidetracked by choosing who will take a ministerial post.
“I don’t mind if my name is not included, I don’t care. What’s important is for us to win and continue winning and not who will be the minister… what’s important is we win first,” the Marang MP said.
Dr Wan Azizah yesterday said that having a shadow Cabinet — an idea that was mooted before but failed to materialise due to irreconcilable differences — would serve as an effective oversight initiative that could help safeguard public interests.
“(As a start) Setting up a shadow PR Cabinet where each ministry will be represented by one MP from each party.
“The point is to strengthen check-and-balances to protect public interest,” she told reporters in Parliament yesterday, after taking oath as the new Permatang Pauh MP.
Dr Wan Azizah’s proposal comes at a time when PR currently faces deep divisions over PAS’ insistence on pushing ahead with plans to implement hudud in Kelantan.
She said mending ties between PR’s warring parties will also be a top agenda, and that this will be done through a “heart-to-heart” talk with all members in line with the pact’s common policy framework.
