Azmin to brief Sultan on post-Pakatan Selangor, says Rafizi

KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 — Selangor Mentri Besar Azmin Ali will have an audience with the state ruler soon to explain how his administration can remain intact after the disintegration of Pakatan Rakyat, PKR’s Rafizi Ramli said today.

The PKR secretary-general said Azmin will inform Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah that PKR, DAP and PAS will continue to work together as a coalition government that should leave the Selangor government unaffected following PR’s demise.

“I was told that Azmin will brief the Sultan in due course,” Rafizi said as he was leaving Dewan Rakyat today.

“The decision that we took, with mutual consultation with DAP and PAS, is that while we mutually decided to dissolve Pakatan, it’s best to continue political cooperation in the form of a coalition government at the state level,” he added, referring to the Selangor state government.

The Pandan MP said there was no indication that Azmin did not have the support of the majority in Selangor, adding that there was no need to speculate on whether or not the state would have a snap election.

“For the time being that issue doesn’t arise at all because PAS and DAP has given their commitment to continue the coalition government in Selangor, albeit without a formal pact at the national level,” the Pandan MP explained.

The PR coalition holds the majority in Selangor with 43 state seats namely with DAP’s 15 seats, PAS’ 14 seats, and PKR’s 13 seats.

Barisan Nasional, on the other hand, has 12 seats in Selangor.

Though PKR holds the least number of seats in the state, its party’s deputy president Azmin was picked as Selangor mentri besar with consensus from all three parties.

However, the Sultan has the authority to call for a state election should he find that Azmin no longer held the majority support in the state.

Yesterday, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail issued a statement that her party regretted PAS’ muktamar resolution to cut off ties with DAP as well as DAP’s declaration that their three-party partnership was over.

In light with these, she said it only means PR no longer functions formally but hoped the cooperation between the three former allies will continue in Selangor and Penang.