KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 ― Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali denied today a report that alleged he had told state executive councillors from PAS to resign if their party insisted on contesting the Sungai Besar by-election.

New Straits Times Online reported Azmin, who is also PKR deputy president, as calling the article on The Star Online “slanderous”.

“Madness. No such thing and it’s not true.

“Now we are focusing on discussions on the seat and they have not concluded yet. Discussions are still ongoing as I mentioned before and I am meeting with Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) today,” he was quoted saying after chairing the state economic action council meeting at the state secretariat building in Shah Alam.

Azmin, however, reportedly declined to confirm if PAS would remain in the state government should it remain set on contesting the Sungai Besar federal seat in Selangor that PKR is also gunning for.

When contacted by Malay Mail Online earlier today, Azmin’s office and PKR leaders ― Chua Tian Chang and Elizabeth Wong ― denied the The Star Online report.

Although PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said recently that the Islamist party would contest both the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections, Chua told Malay Mail Online today that PKR was still negotiating with PAS as his party believed that it had a better chance of winning Sungai Besar.

Amanah vice-president Datuk Mujahid Yusof Rawa said Tuesday convention dictates that his party should contest in both by-elections on June 18 as they would gun for any seat previously considered the reserve of PAS.