Whether Pakatan Rakyat is on the brink of collapse or entering a new phase depends on its reaction towards PKR deputy president Azmin Ali being the Selangor menteri besar.

Veteran newsman A Kadir Jasin noted that Azmin is not PKR’s first choice for the post, and the party was forced to give its blessings for his appointment at the eleventh hour.

“If PKR compromises and accepts the situation with wisdom, then Azmin can be a MB without hindrance and prove if he is able to administer Selangor.

“But if PKR is vengeful, then there is a big possibility that Azmin will be another Selangor MB to face misfortune and Pakatan will become irrelevant to the people of the state,” he warned in his latest blog post today.

Kadir (left) said PKR and the “fanatical supporters” of Anwar Ibrahim could employ numerous methods to threaten Azmin’s position, similar to what was done to his predecessor Khalid Ibrahim.

“For 16 years, I have seen and heard how Azmin has been slandered, scolded and insulted because of his loyalty to Anwar. But he has remained loyal.

“If PKR is adamant on imposing its will on all quarters, including the voters of Selangor, just because it wants Anwar’s dynasty, I feel the voters must then review their support for PKR and Pakatan,” he added.

'Comedy must end'

The former New Straits Times group editor-in-chief said the political circus in Selangor is no longer hilarious.

“Since the onset of the crisis, Pakatan parties appear like those who are intoxicated with toddy or ganja. It has also tested the wisdom and effectiveness of Anwar as the opposition bloc’s de facto leader,” he added.

Kadir said if PKR, PAS and DAP feel responsible for the voters who elected them and the taxpayers who contribute their salaries, then these parties must end the comedy.

Azmin was sworn-in as the 15th menteri besar of Selangor this morning following a protracted crisis, which saw PKR and Anwar adamant that his wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (right), take the post.

The issue had also strained ties in Pakatan and caused an internal rift in PAS. The relationship with the palace had also been affected.

Following this, the sultan decided to appoint Azmin but legal experts and political observers expressed concern that the ruler had overstepped his role as a constitutional monarch and set a precedent which did not bode well for a parliamentary democracy.


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