Amanah Negara rejects PAS’s inclusion in Pakatan 2.0
(Malay Mail Online) – Three-day old Parti Amanah Negara today stated its rejection of the inclusion of PAS in forming a new opposition coalition, following a statement made by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim implying so.
On behalf of Amanah Negara, founding member Mohamed Hanipa Maidin said that based on their experience being a splinter group of PAS, the latter had no sincere appreciation for the political cooperation with DAP and PKR.
“In any case, with respect to Anwar, I humbly differ with his opinion about the necessity of involving PAS in a new opposition alliance,” he said in a statement this morning.
“I also do not see how DAP can accept the presence of PAS in Pakatan Rakyat 2.0 after what they had gone through in PR previously. And I do not see how non-Muslim voters will support PR 2.0 if PAS was included,” he added.
Mohamed Hanipa added that if a new coalition is to be formed, principles and standing of the coalition must be formed based on consensus between the component parties.
“Pakatan Rakyat or PR 2.0 is only viable if PAS is not involved, and it instead only be made up of PKR, DAP and Parti Amanah Negara. Leave PAS to their solo politics undisturbed to carry forth their solo agenda on their own,” he added.
Amanah Negara was made an official political party on Monday, founded by PAS splinter group Harapan Baru (HB) made up of former progressive PAS leaders ousted of their party posts in the party elections earlier this year.
Mohamed Hanipa added that while he understood that PR 2.0 would require a boost in the Malay vote, PAS’s inclusion was not the answer as it alienated the non-Malays, whom he said would punish PR 2.0 at the ballots for its inclusion of PAS.
“To me, with the attitude and political style of the current PAS leaders, I do not consider PAS to be an asset to PR 2.0. PAS’s political style, with due respect, is not a friendly political style, but instead the style of a ‘lone ranger’,” he said.
Through his lawyers, Anwar had yesterday released a statement to the press of his encouragement of PAN’s formation, saying that, “Amanah will further strengthen the national opposition, together with KEADILAN, PAS, DAP; and we will expand this cooperation to other committed NGOs which share our common objectives.”
Amanah Negara, which was established by HB’s taking over of previously dormant Malaysian Workers’ Party, aims to secure 35,000 members by next month.
Its member claim that they are intent on presenting a more universal and inclusive form of Islam in Malaysian politics as a counterpoint to their former party’s conservative take on the religion.
