According to a report in The Star Online, the menteri besar made the stunning request during a meeting yesterday with PAS state exco members Iskandar Samad, Ahmad Yunus Hairi, Zaidy Abdul Talib and new state PAS commissioner Sallehen Mukhyi.

It is understood that during the meeting, Azmin assured the PAS exco members that the Islamic party could still remain as part of the state government in line with the mandate won in the 2013 general election.

He said PAS representatives would remain as municipal councillors and sit on village committees and also continue to enjoy state development allocations.

Azmin called for the meeting in the wake of the PAS Syura Council’s decision on Thursday to end their political cooperation or tahaluf siyasi with PKR.

The Syura Council endorsed the decision to sever political cooperation with PKR, which was unanimously agreed upon at the PAS muktamar held in Kedah late last month.

PAS accused PKR, its ally since 1999, of betraying their mutual agreement on a number of issues, including not supporting PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s initiative to enhance the sentencing powers of the shariah courts and cooperating with PAS’ political enemies to topple the PAS-led state government in Kelantan.

PKR has denied the accusations.

PAS was also angered by PKR’s support for Amanah, a PAS splinter party, in the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections which PAS lost.

Besides Ahmad, Zaidy and Iskandar and the position of the deputy speaker of the state assembly, PAS also has a large number of its grassroots leaders holding posts at the local government level in Selangor.