PAS' steering committee unconstitutional

Gerakan: PAS' steering committee unconstitutional

Kedah Gerakan has accused PAS of meddling in state affairs, claiming that the setting-up of a steering committee as an oversight mechanism for the party's executive councillors is "unconstitutional".

Gerakan state chief and Derga assemblyperson Dr Cheah Soon Hai (left) said the committee, mooted to resolve PAS' internal problems, is against Kedah's constitution as the current issue only involves the administration of the state.

"I'm not interested in the tussle for power within PAS in Kedah. What concern me most as a state assemblyperson (is the) move to undermine the state government," said Cheah in a statement today.

Cheah warned PAS to not "drag" the state government down and resolve its crisis on its own.

"The last few months of infighting in PAS has finally become like having a government within a government," he said.

PAS had suggested for the 

steering committee to be established to defuse the friction between Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak and executive councillors Phahrolrazi Zawawi (Pengkalan Kundor) and Dr Ismail Salleh (Alor Mengkudu).

Phahrolrazi and Ismail, who are also state PAS deputy commissioners I and II, respectively, had rejected reappointment to their executive councillors posts after having hit a wall with Azizan over state administration matters.

Malaysiakini on Tuesday reported that the tiff erupted after Azizan had insisted on awarding a RM600 million road development project to a company linked to a former Kedah Umno division leader.

Cheah pointed out that PAS' solution showed that the state government is answerable to a political body for decisions on the state's policies.

"We also wonder how the Kedah Pakatan Rakyat works? (The state government) is supposed to comprise PAS, PKR and DAP," said Cheah, adding that the other coalition partner have been silent on the matter.

"Now the state government needs to take orders from a body comprising of only PAS leaders outside the state, yet appointed only by PAS," he said.

"Their silence has (to be) read as consent to the arrangement and it makes them look like pawns on a PAS chessboard. We Kedahans object to people who have no locus standi to act for the state," Cheah added.