PAS is refusing to put its support for PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in writing for submission to the Selangor palace despite the Islamic party last week grudgingly endorsing her as the next Selangor menteri besar.
                       
Specifically, sources told Malaysiakini, PAS was not allowing 13 of its state assemblypersons to sign a statutory declaration (SD) of support for Wan Azizah.
 
However, two its assemblypersons - Saari Sungib (Hulu Kelang) and Hasnul Baharuddin (Morib) - have already signed their SDs after they unilaterally backed Wan Azizah before PAS made its decision last Sunday.
 
A senior PKR leader who spoke on condition of anonymity told Malaysiakini that the issue of PAS' written support was discussed at the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council meeting yesterday.
 
He confirmed that PAS was digging its heels on the SD and revealed that the Pakatan meeting failed to reach a resolution.
 
The source added that another meeting would be convened "soon" in order for the three coalition parties to forge a consensus on the matter.
 
Malaysiakini understands the SDs are an attempt to show overwhelming support for Wan Azizah's to bolster the likelihood of the Selangor sultan consenting to her becoming menteri besar.
 
PKR wants to make a strong case to the palace amid concerns that the sultan may reject her, and PAS' refusal to put its support in writing has thrown a spanner in the works for Wan Azizah.
 
Selangor PAS had previously claimed that the Selangor sultan had expressed that he did not favour Wan Azizah to take over as menteri besar. 
 
The party also revealed that its president, Abdul Hadi Awang, had been summoned to an audience with the sultan without the prior knowledge of its two allies, DAP and PKR.
                       
Support letter not part of agreement
 
Meanwhile, a Selangor PAS senior leader told Malaysiakini that the party's 13 assemblypersons, including four exco members, were not pledging their written support as they have yet to receive instructions to do so from the party leadership.
 
PAS, after two weeks of teetering, on Aug 17 withdrew its support for embattled Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, who was expelled from PKR.
 
Even though PAS finally decided to back Wan Azizah, who is supported by both PKR and DAP, it proposed a second name for the menteri besar’s post - PKR deputy president Azmin Ali.    
 
However, Pakatan has been firm on nominating only Wan Azizah after Azmin backed his party boss for the post.
 
It is understood that the PAS central leadership is refusing to give the written support as "it was not part of the agreement made in earlier discussions".

Rafizi: Not refusing but discussing

Meanwhile, when asked about this today, on the sidelines of the PKR congress, party vice-president Rafizi Ramli clarified was not a matter of PAS assemblypersons refusing to sign the SDs.

"I think it’s incorrect to say that the PAS reps refuse to sign. It’s just that PAS wants to go back and vet through the content of the letter.

"So I think the process is just prolonged," Rafizi told Malaysiakini.

Pressed on whether he was confident the PAS representatives would eventually sign the letter, Rafizi said the decision did not rest with the assemblypersons.

"I don’t know whether they will sign or not. It's just that it is not the decision of the 13 (assemblypersons).

"PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali wants to bring the content of the letter to another meeting and vet it through, and for agreement at the meeting before they sign," Rafizi said.

The PAS central committee, he said, would meet over the matter on Monday.

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim also later brushed aside the issue.

"PAS said they will have to refer to the meeting (on) Monday... but the decision will be taken. There is no issue," Anwar told reporters.


Selangor crisis today

9.21am: Dr Wan Azizah denies that PKR is on a smear campaign against MB Khalid and is only laying down the facts

11.18am: Sources say PAS at Pakatan meeting yesterday reluctant to make reps sign statutory declarations to show support for Wan Azizah as MB

11.21am: Law expert says there is no basis to dissolve the Selangor assembly but if the sultan allows it, it cannot be contested

4pm: Law expert Gurdial Singh Nijar says that if the Perak assembly was not dissolved despite the three-seat majority, Selangor assembly should not either as Wan Azizah has a super-majority.

7.32pm: Anwar says that despite PAS’ reluctance, Pakatan will still only nominate Wan Azizah as its sole replacement MB candidate