KUALA LUMPUR: PKR de facto chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sought forgiveness from the Sultan of Selangor yesterday if the party had offended the state ruler for not abiding by his decree to nominate at least three candidates for the menteri besar post.

But the opposition leader also insisted that PKR’s decision to propose only one nominee, party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, was in line with the state’s law and convention.

“Referring to the media statement by the Selangor palace media signed by the private secretary to the Sultan [on Monday], we ask the Sultan’s forgiveness if our decision to abide by the Selangor state law and convention since 1957 offended the feelings of the Sultan,” Anwar said in a statement.

Anwar added that PKR and Pakatan Rakyat stood by the principle of the supremacy of the constitution and upheld the constitutional monarch and system of parliamentary democracy.

The opposition leader also claimed that Umno too had only presented one name for the positions of state assemblyman, parliamentarian, chief minister, menteri besar and prime minister since 1957.

Earlier yesterday, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng also sought forgiveness from the Sultan of Selangor for submitting only one name for the MB position, while reiterating the party’s loyalty to the state monarch.

Lim said he would discuss with Anwar on the Sultan’s decree that each party within Pakatan submit more than two names to the palace.

He added that DAP had also taken into account the support of 30 state assemblymen for Dr Wan Azizah, as well as Pakatan’s consensus that the Selangor MB would be from PKR.

On Monday, the Sultan revealed he was extremely disappointed with PKR and DAP for defying the decree he made on Aug 27.

“DAP and Keadilan’s actions reflect their insolence towards the royal institution and is treason towards the Selangor Sultan,” said the statement issued by the Sultan’s private secretary, Datuk Munir Bani.

It said Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah had decreed each party within Pakatan Rakyat to submit more than two names, saying it was the palace’s convention on the matter.

“This is to allow him to decide on the future Selangor menteri besar by looking not only at the majority support of the state legislative assembly, but also in terms of the skills, experience, integrity and capabilities of the state assemblyman.”

PAS alone had deviated from the Pakatan consensus and submitted three names, two from PKR and one from its own ranks, in a move that had strained ties between the allies.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang told a special briefing for the party last Friday that Dr Wan Azizah was not qualified for the post, as she did not have the ability to debate questions in Parliament or the state assembly. — The Malaysian Insider


This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on September 10, 2014.