PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man need not wait for the Selangor sultan to consent to the resignation of the party's three state executive councillors, a party leader said today.

Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar said this is since PAS was the one that decided to sever political ties with PKR, which heads the Selangor government.

The PAS lawmaker pointed out in a statement that his party had finalised cutting ties with PKR and DAP, as these two former allies had "betrayed PAS and opposed the PAS' agenda".

"This means PAS no longer has any connection with the two parties, and this would include any government that is headed by the two parties," said Mahfuz.

"From a moral political standpoint, PAS ought to separate itself from being involved with or from rubbing shoulders in any capacity, with PKR and DAP, which are accused to have betrayed PAS," he said.

"In such a situation, the PAS' excos should immediately resign from their posts the moment the syura council affirmed the decision taken by the muktamar (to sever ties…), without needing to be forced by anyone."

Mahfuz said resigning from their posts promptly would signal that the party's central leadership and Selangor PAS is consistent with the decision of the muktamar and syura council.

Since finally cutting ties with PKR at the party's recent muktamar, all eyes have been on the three Selangor executive councillors Iskandar Samad, Ahmad Yunus Hairi and Zaidy Abdul Talib, who have remained in the cabinet of their former ally PKR, which PAS had maligned at its general meeting.

Recycling 1996 script

Mahfuz was responding to Tuan Ibrahim, who last Saturday told mStar Online that PAS may be "forced to accept" Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali's alleged decision to ask the PAS exco members to resign.

"We accepted them (the exco posts) because the exco appointments come under the jurisdiction of the Selangor Sultan Sharafudin Idris Shah.

"PAS accepts it, if (it is true) this move has the consent of Tuanku Sultan," Mahfuz was reported as saying.

“It is extremely unwarranted for Tuan Ibrahim (photo) and PAS to drag the royal institution into this and seek political refuge in the palace to defend their prized (ghanimah) Selangor exco posts,” he said.

He added that Tuan Ibrahim should, as a senior politician, be well informed on matters pertaining to Malaysia's constitutional monarchy, where although state exco members are formally appointed by the sultan, it is done through the “advice and recommendation of the menteri besar”.

Pointing to various laws in the federal and state constitutions, Mahfuz said the choice of office holders, such as the menteri besar or exco member, is the right and duty of the head of the executive body.

“Tuan Ibrahim need not recycle the 'script' used by former Kelantan excos from Semangat 46, who refused to step down from their posts in 1996,” he added.

'To serve, join Harapan'

Mahfuz also berated his party for placing the burden of deciding the fate of the PAS Selangor exco members on Menteri Besar Azmin Ali, saying this was not right.

“It is not Azmin and PKR who had cut ties, but PAS was the one that had made the decision,” he said, adding there is therefore no need for Azmin to make any decision.

He said if the three excos truly cared for and wanted to serve the people of Selangor, they were free to join any of the parties in Pakatan Harapan “in order to strengthen the Selangor government as well as create a wave in the 14th general election to defeat Umno-BN, and rebuild anew our beloved Malaysia”.

“Don't let the situation in Selangor make the people see PAS as more of a political cartoons that has no direction,” Mahfuz quipped.