KOTA BARU, 9 Feb 2009: PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat will seek clarification from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the statement by DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh that Anwar was not fit to lead the Pakatan Rakyat.
“I do not want to comment on the matter and I want to ask Datuk Seri Anwar what is the truth,” he told reporters after attending a Chinese New Year function here yesterday.
Karpal, at a news conference yesterday, called on Anwar to quit as Pakatan Rakyat leader because his encouragement of party-hopping was “immoral” and tarnished the coalition’s image.
Nik Abdul Aziz, who is Kelantan Menteri Besar, said the matter had to be clarified by Anwar himself.
On the issue of party-hopping, Nik Aziz said such actions were contemptible and against the wishes of voters who chose their candidates.
In IPOH yesterday, Anwar said Karpal was only expressing his personal views in hitting out at him and that this would not jeopardise unity in the Pakatan Rakyat alliance of PKR-DAP-PAS.
The Permatang Pauh Member of Parliament said Karpal’s tirade against him was because he did not agree with Karpal’s decision to take legal action against Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak for asking Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin to resign as Menteri Besar.
Anwar, who is also Opposition Leader, denied Karpal’s allegation that he was responsible for bringing “party hopping culture” into the opposition coalition.
Met by reporters at the Perak Menteri Besar’s residence here last night, Anwar also said that he would be meeting Karpal to thrash out the issue.
Also present were PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and DAP deputy chairperson, Tan Seng Giaw.
However, DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang and his son Lim Guan Eng, who is DAP secretary-general and Chief Minister of Penang, did not turn up at the residence last night although it had been reported that they would.
Nizar is defying the Sultan’s order and has made the residence his “seat of government”. — Bernama
