Khalid Samad today rebutted claims of PAS’ unhappiness over Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim being the candidate for prime minister should Pakatan Rakyat win federal power in Election 2013.
The Shah Alam MP said the party’s silence on the matter was to take the focus off Anwar as an individual, not because they disagreed with supporting him as PM.
He also dismissed allegations that the party has been ‘bowing down’ to its coalition partners and deviating from its original goals for the sake of holding Pakatan together.
“PAS does not bow down to anybody. Pakatan works on consensus. Whatever needs to be done or is being done, has to be agreed by all three parties,” said Khalid.
“PAS has been playing down the issue because it would create a problem when BN is consistently indulging in character assassination of Anwar to discredit Pakatan.
“The final decision of who becomes PM will be endorsed by Pakatan and accepted fully by the coalition. If DAP and PKR support him, there is no reason for PAS not to,” he added.
“We will place the names of leaders on the table and decide who is best choice for PM. If two parties voice their support for Anwar, then it will most likely be Anwar.”
‘Our is battle to change the government’
Khalid said PAS is cautious in voicing support for Anwar as he “may lose in the area he is contesting” and Pakatan would then “not be able to deliver the candidate it said would be PM”.
“That is partly why Anwar is moving (from Permatang Pauh),” he said, explaining that Pakatan will go into a state of disarray if their choice candidate for PM loses.
“As far as we are concerned, our battle is to change the current government and put a new and better one in place. The PM candidacy will come later, but we do not reject Anwar.”
It was previously reported that PAS leaders had questioned Anwar’s candidacy as PM at a closed-door meeting between PAS and PKR leaders last month.
There have also been claims that PAS was being forced to make too many compromises in their bid to hold Pakatan together and that the party could not be trusted to defend Islam.
Last month, PAS’ president Abdul Hadi Awang was quoted as saying that the three Pakatan partners were working well with each other but PAS will not hesitate to quit the pact should Islam and Malays lose out in coalition politics.
Article courtesy of FMT
-The office of MP for Shah Alam-
The Shah Alam MP said the party’s silence on the matter was to take the focus off Anwar as an individual, not because they disagreed with supporting him as PM.
He also dismissed allegations that the party has been ‘bowing down’ to its coalition partners and deviating from its original goals for the sake of holding Pakatan together.
“PAS does not bow down to anybody. Pakatan works on consensus. Whatever needs to be done or is being done, has to be agreed by all three parties,” said Khalid.
“PAS has been playing down the issue because it would create a problem when BN is consistently indulging in character assassination of Anwar to discredit Pakatan.
“The final decision of who becomes PM will be endorsed by Pakatan and accepted fully by the coalition. If DAP and PKR support him, there is no reason for PAS not to,” he added.
“We will place the names of leaders on the table and decide who is best choice for PM. If two parties voice their support for Anwar, then it will most likely be Anwar.”
‘Our is battle to change the government’
Khalid said PAS is cautious in voicing support for Anwar as he “may lose in the area he is contesting” and Pakatan would then “not be able to deliver the candidate it said would be PM”.
“That is partly why Anwar is moving (from Permatang Pauh),” he said, explaining that Pakatan will go into a state of disarray if their choice candidate for PM loses.
“As far as we are concerned, our battle is to change the current government and put a new and better one in place. The PM candidacy will come later, but we do not reject Anwar.”
It was previously reported that PAS leaders had questioned Anwar’s candidacy as PM at a closed-door meeting between PAS and PKR leaders last month.
There have also been claims that PAS was being forced to make too many compromises in their bid to hold Pakatan together and that the party could not be trusted to defend Islam.
Last month, PAS’ president Abdul Hadi Awang was quoted as saying that the three Pakatan partners were working well with each other but PAS will not hesitate to quit the pact should Islam and Malays lose out in coalition politics.
Article courtesy of FMT
-The office of MP for Shah Alam-
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