Deadlock in PKR-DAP talks on Selangor as Azmin won’t declare Pakatan dead

KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 ― Azmin Ali's refusal to declare Pakatan Rakyat (PR) dead and set tems for PAS to remain in his administrations were why state PKR and DAP leaders could not reach a consensus on Selangor’s future during their recent meeting.

Malay Mail Online understands that Selangor DAP wants the mentri besar to concur with their party’s declaration of PR’s end and to pressure the national PAS leadership to sign a formal agreement compelling its state chapter to support the state government and, by extension, the PR common policy framework.

Sources familiar with the matter said that Azmin did not agree to this, and that he did not want to disrupt his working relationship with the Islamist party as the first-term MB still needs PAS's support in order to continue running the state government.

“DAP wants Azmin to officially recognise that PR is dead… and to impose conditions to any party interested in being part of the new coalition,” a PR source told Malay Mail Online.

A PKR leader who was present at the meeting also confirmed this, saying that DAP's demands put Azmin and the Selangor government in a very difficult position.

The person also questioned the necessity of DAP’s demand for PAS to formally state that it supports the PR Common Policy Framework, which the Islamist party is accused of violating with its push for hudud in Kelantan.

“Why are they so insistent with this? Can't they just work with Selangor PAS like how it was until the next general election, and then let the voters decide who they want to run Selangor,” the PKR leader spoke to Malay Mail Online on condition of anonymity.

Another PKR leader who was also present at the meeting said that the issue of Selangor PAS's loyalty should not even arise as the state chapter had recently affirmed their support towards Azmin's administration despite PR's demise as a coalition.

“Whatever is happening on the national level, on the state level everyone is working together like normal,” the PKR source told Malay Mail Online.

On Tuesday, Azmin stressed that the Selangor government remains unaffected by the  political crisis among the  PR parties.

He also said the PKR-DAP meeting was a “normal” gathering to discuss several issues which he declines to elaborate.

“There is no crisis in Selangor. The Selangor government is strong and stable,” he told reporters when met after the meeting.

But Selangor DAP chief Tony Pua said that both DAP and PKR have yet to reach a consensus on the future of the Selangor government, and that both parties would have to meet again after Hari Raya to discuss matters.

PR parties jointly hold the majority in Selangor with 43 state seats; DAP and PAS have 15 seats each, and PKR holds 13.

Barisan Nasional, the opposition in Selangor, has 12 seats in while former mentri besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim who was sacked from PKR last year is the state’s sole independent assemblyman.

But PR’s majority was thrown into uncertainty when PAS decided during its June 6 muktamar to cut ties with the DAP.

The party’s decision led to the DAP later declaring PR’s death as a coalition.

Without PAS, DAP and PKR collectively command 28 seats, half of the state assembly’s 56 seats and one short of a simple majority.

PAS, however, has since insisted that PR still exists.

Earlier this month, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said her party regretted PAS’ muktamar resolution to cut ties with DAP as well as DAP’s declaration that their three-party partnership was over.

In light of 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.