There can be two Pakatans in Selangor, says PAS sec-gen

There can be two Pakatan opposition coalitions in Selangor, PAS secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan said today, as the Islamist party continued to insist that a pact with PKR still exist. "Even if one partner leaves, the company still exists," he said told reporters in the Parliament lobby. "In Semangat 46, they (were with) two coalitions. There was a pact between Semangat and PAS to form Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah to rule Kelantan," he said referring to the now defunct party that had cooperated with PAS in the 1990s. Semangat 46 had also been in another coalition, Gagasan Rakyat, that included other federal level opposition parties such as DAP. "The same can happen now. One is Pakatan Harapan and the other is Pakatan between PAS and PKR," Takiyuddin said. He also said PAS retained a good relationship with Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali. "We are still together. Without us, the state government would have collapsed last time, when the previous MB sacked DAP excos." Takiyuddin's comments followed a statement by PAS deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man on Saturday night that Pakatan Rakyat still existed between PAS and PKR without DAP. His assertion was dismissed by PKR elections director Datuk Saifuddin Nasution and DAP publicity secretary Tony Pua. Pakatan Rakyat was declared over in June after PAS severed ties with DAP during its annual general meeting that month. PKR, DAP and the newly formed Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah), consisting of former PAS members, then formed Pakatan Harapan last month. PAS, however,, refused to join, saying it could never work with DAP again while branding Amanah leaders "traitors" for leaving the Islamist party. The Selangor state government, despite Pakatan Harapan's formation, still consists of PAS members in its exco line-up. – October 26, 2015.]]>