The PKR today confirmed that the Pakatan Rakyat coalition is officially ended, but it said it will continue to ‘pioneer’ efforts to build a coalition of those who want to defeat Barisan Nasional.

In a statement, PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said, while PKR appreciates the cooperation it has achieved together with PAS and DAP, it nevertheless regrets the fallout between DAP and PAS.

Pakatan Rakyat no longer functions officially, said Wan Azizah

“PKR expresses regret on the resolution to cut ties with DAP, which was accepted without debate at the 61st PAS Muktamar; and subsequently the DAP Central Executive Committee’s announcement of the end of Pakatan Rakyat that PKR considers hasty,” she said.

“In light of this, the political coalition that is Pakatan Rakyat no longer functions formally,” she added.

However, she said the status quo will remain in Selangor.

“We are thankful to Allah SWT for the spirit and cooperation of Pakatan Rakyat in Selangor under the leadership of Menteri Besar Azmin Ali, and in the leadership of the Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng continues. And in the same spirit, and based on the Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework, PKR will continue to give support to the Menteri Besar of Kelantan, Ahmad Yaakob,” she said.

The PKR political bureau had convened last night to decide on the future of the coalition, which was formed after the 2008 general elections. However, the coalition of PKR, PAS and DAP had fallen through when PAS in its June 4 muktamar decided to cut ties with DAP.

The DAP had in March announced that it is cutting ties with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang over the latters’ insistence on tabling a private members bill in Parliament to enable the implementation of hudud in Kelantan.

The move had soured relations between the Islamist PAS and the social-democratic, secular DAP, and the situation came to a head when DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng announced yesterday that Pakatan Rakyat “has ceased to exist”.

– The Rocket