“Don’t let the situation in Selangor make the people view PAS as a ‘political cartoon’ not knowing where to go,” said the Pokok Sena MP who has become a vocal critic of his own party of late.
He criticised Tuan Ibrahim for attempting to use the Istana as a pretext to holding on to the exco posts.
“As a senior political leader, Tuan Ibrahim should know that under our constitutional monarchy system, the appointment of state excos or cabinet ministers, although made by the state ruler or the Yang Dipertuan Agong, is done on the advice of the menteri besar or the prime minister,” he said.
Mahfuz said there should not have been any need to pressure the PAS excos to resign from their posts.
“By right, the PAS excos should have resigned immediately after the Syura Council affirmed the decision of the PAS muktamar to sever political cooperation with PKR, without the need to be asked or forced to by anyone,” he said.
He added the resignations were vital to demonstrate the stands by PAS at the national and Selangor levels were in line with the decisions of the muktamar and the Syura Council.
PAS has three excos in Selangor – Iskandar Abdul Samad, Ahmad Yunus Hairi and Zaidy Abdul Talib. There are also many PAS councillors at the local government level. The deputy speaker of the Selangor assembly, Shafie Ngah, is from PAS.
The PAS muktamar on April 30 voted unanimously to end ties with PKR, and the decision was endorsed by the Syura Council, the party’s highest policy-making body, last Thursday.
PAS will decide on the status of the three excos at a meeting this Thursday.
Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali had stated all the PAS excos would remain in his administration for the time being.
Mahfuz recalled a similarity in the stand by Tuan Ibrahim and the action of the excos representing the now defunct Semangat 46 in Kelantan after the latter broke off relations with PAS in 1996 prior to dissolving the party for its members to rejoin Umno.
He said the Semangat 46 excos had announced they would remain in the state administration since they were appointed by the Sultan of Kelantan and they also wanted to fulfil the mandate received in the 1995 general election.
However, they were ordered to leave the Kelantan administration by the then prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“The political situation in Selangor leaves PAS with no option other than to withdraw from the state administration,” said Mahfuz.