The Malaysian Insight

AMANAH was formed not to divide Muslims and split Malay votes, but to replace PAS in the now defunct Pakatan Rakyat, said deputy president Salahuddin Ayub.

If anything, he said, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang was the one helping to divide Muslims by tacitly working with Umno.

“PAS will not defeat Umno alone. We (Amanah) have been consistent in our fight against Umno.

“They (PAS) are saying they want to fight Umno, but they are growing closer.

“We have not swayed from contesting against Umno, but how about PAS? Even in Parliament, they do not make the effort to oppose Umno.”

Salahuddin said Hadi was envious of Amanah, and seemed to regret not being a part of current opposition bloc Pakatan Harapan.

“Deep in his heart, he knows that, and he is envious of Amanah’s existence.

“We have been around for two years. The fact is, we are doing what PAS had failed to do in Pakatan Rakyat, which is to fight Umno.

“Saying Amanah wants to divide Muslims and split Malay votes is an old issue. We live in a democracy.

“PAS threatened to destroy Pakatan Rakyat. The birth of Amanah saw the opposition bond and unite with DAP and PKR under the PH banner,” he told The Malaysian Insight today.

Salahuddin was responding to a statement by Hadi today, accusing PAS splinter party Amanah of seeking to divide Muslims and act as spoiler in the 14th general election.

Hadi told Mingguan Malaysia that if Amanah was sincere in its efforts to defeat Umno, the PH party would not contest in traditional PAS seats.

Terengganu Amanah chief Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad said having multiple Islamic parties was not the reason for Muslims to be divided.

“Amanah was formed not to divide Muslims. In Indonesia and the Middle East, there are dozens of Islamic parties. There is no divide.

“What drives the divide is the extremist attitude of parties that are hard-headed and accuse other Muslims of betrayal,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

The Kuala Terengganu lawmaker said Amanah was formed as an alternative to give the people an option in GE14.

“We need to see from the point (of view) of people wanting change. They will judge based on how badly the party wants to bring down Barisan Nasional and Umno.

“Amanah is more vocal than PAS. They (PAS) exclude themselves in Parliament voting, and do not oppose.

“Amanah is more prominent and dynamic both in Parliament and onstage. People do not want to see friendly fire.”

Hadi, in the Mingguan Malaysia interview, said the past had shown that all PAS splinter parties eventually floundered and their leaders would return.

Amanah – set up by the Islamist party’s progressive leaders after PAS severed ties with DAP, bringing an end to Pakatan Rakyat – was formed in 2015, with Mohamad Sabu as president.

PAS then severed ties with PH party PKR in 2015, and it continued to face opposition from the Chinese-based DAP over its campaign to implement hudud in Kelantan.

DAP, PKR, Bersatu and Amanah went on to form PH, which has applied to the Registrar of Societies to be recognised as a formal coalition.

The Islamist party has repeatedly said it is leading independent opposition pact Gagasan Sejahtera Rakyat in GE14, in the fight against both BN and PH. – February 18, 2018.