KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 — As tensions within Pakatan Rakyat (PR) grow, the Presidential Council meeting that was postponed from Thursday appears unlikely to be rescheduled before the crucial Manek Urai by-election campaign begins.
PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub had on Thursday told the press that the council, made up of the top leadership of the three partners, would meet before Monday's nomination for the Kelantan state seat to sort out differences in Penang, Kedah and also the issue of Umno-PAS unity government talks that refuses to die down.
The polls in the traditional PAS stronghold will test the fledgling coalition's seemingly waning support from the Malay-Muslim ground.
But speaking to The Malaysian Insider today, the Kubang Kerian MP clarified that it was only one of several recommendations made by the joint secretariat, a lower level body that had met in lieu of the Presidential Council.
"It was our view that the Presidential Council should have the meeting before the Manek Urai nomination but as of now, I have not received any information that a meeting has been scheduled," he said, after attending the secretariat meeting.
Another secretariat member, DAP information chief Tony Pua, told The Malaysian Insider today that the leaders could possibly meet tomorrow in Kelantan.
But PAS leaders are preparing for the by-election where their Kuala Krai treasurer Mohd Fauzi Abdullah will contest and DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang is in Kedah today to address the growing schism between DAP and the PAS-led government.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be in his hometown constituency of Permatang Pauh tomorrow and is yet to confirm with his staff that he will attend Monday's nomination.
PR will hope that the secretariat's recommendations will be heard soon enough to allay the fears of the 12,000 voters in Manek Urai before they go to the polls on July 14.
It had suggested solutions to Kedah DAP's pullout from the state government after the demolition of the state's only pig abattoir, the rift between Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and the state PKR over local council appointments and the insistence of PAS Youth to continue discussions with its Umno counterpart.
But matters appear to have worsened as both Guan Eng and Kit Siang have come out fighting over DAP's stand in the two northern states and DAP's sole assemblyman in Kedah Lee Guan Aik declaring himself an independent in the assembly.
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