GEORGE TOWN, Nov 2 ― Penang's sole PAS lawmaker Datuk Mohd Salleh Man refuted today a news article over the weekend claiming he was withdrawing his support for the Pakatan Harapan state government.

The Permatang Pasir assemblyman rejected the report by News Straits Times (NST) on Saturday, saying instead that he fully backed the state government.

“I wish to stress here that what was reported was slanderous and I demand that NST retract the article immediately as I have not spoken to any reporters from the publications,” he said.

He insisted that he had won the state seat in 2013 in the spirit of the former alliance known as Pakatan Rakyat and that it is based on that very spirit that he continues to support the state administration that is now under Pakatan Harapan.

The Penang Islamic Council president remained coy and refused to reply when asked if he would join Parti Amanah Negara, which is part of the Pakatan Harapan.

To date, he is still a PAS member and used to be the Penang PAS state commissioner.

“I only wish to state my full support to the Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng under Pakatan Harapan and I will stand by him and the state government as part of the state administration,” he told reporters in a brief press conference with Lim at the latter's office today.

Mohd Salleh said he will continue to serve his constituents in Permatang Pasir to his full capacity.

“I will continue to pray for the Pakatan Harapan's state government to continue to progress and improve,” he said.

Lim also said Mohd Salleh will continue to be a part of the state administration.

He said the Penang state government and the sole PAS representative here are on good terms.

This is unlike the relationship between the parties on the national front.

PAS and DAP have been attacking each other after the Pakatan Rakyat split up when PAS cut ties with its former ally early this year.

PAS had been threatening to contest in DAP seats including Lim's state seat, Air Putih, in Penang and Lim had responded with statements saying they are open to it since it is a democracy.

“We are open to them contesting in any DAP seats so why are they over-reacting when we mention we might contest in their seats?” he asked when asked about the criticisms by PAS against DAP for “threatening” to contest in PAS seats in Selangor.

He accused PAS of being closer to Barisan Nasional now especially when it failed to question the 1Malaysia Development Berhad financial scandals and the RM2.6 billion deposited into the Prime Minister's account.

He welcomed PAS to contest in any DAP seats in the next general elections and let the people decide.