Internal discord in Amanah over Mat Sabu's continued leadership

A KEY FIGURE within Amanah has acknowledged the existence of a faction within the party actively working to replace the current President, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, with Vice President Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof in the upcoming party election.

Amanah Youth Chief Mohd Hasbie Muda confirmed a notable disagreement between two factions within the party.

One faction aims to retain Mohamad, also known as Mat Sabu, as president, while the other advocates for a new leadership led by Mujahid.

Hasbie clarified that the discord centres around whether Mat Sabu should continue as president or transition into the role of Amanah advisor, currently held by Datuk Seri Ahmad Awang, for an additional term. However, Hasbie expressed uncertainty about whether Mat Sabu or Mujahid leads these factions or if it's a grassroots movement.

"There is indeed a clash between two groups.

"One group wants Mat Sabu to remain president, the other wants new leadership led by Mujahid," Hasbie told Sinar yesterday.

He added that the decision will be determined by the 27 new National Committee members and three-party wing leaders during the National Convention on December 23 and 24.

Responding to rumors of a movement to replace Mat Sabu with Mujahid, a member of the National Assembly stressed that Mat Sabu and Mujahid are considered essential assets for Amanah's leadership leading up to the 16th General Election (GE16).

Unlike other parties, Amanah does not practice direct voting for key positions.

Instead, delegates choose from a small group of applicants for national-level positions, with the final decision made through consultation.

The upcoming National Convention in Klang, Selangor, scheduled for Dec 23 and 24, gains significance as Mat Sabu has been Amanah's President since its establishment in 2015.

The election is of public interest, especially since the deputy president's position, previously held by the late Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub, remains vacant.

Hasbie expressed confidence in the 27 National Leadership Committee members, selected by over 200,000 party members, making informed decisions.

He suggested that a Mat Sabu-Mujahid leadership combination would be optimal for Amanah at this time, highlighting the importance of Mat Sabu's influence in maintaining mixed seats won in GE15 and Mujahid's strength in appealing to Malay voters.

Amanah National Committee Member, Mohd Sany Hamzan, acknowledged that the election could influence the appointment to fill the ministerial vacancy left by Salahuddin.

He urged representatives to base their choices on merit and leadership abilities.

Meanwhile, Amanah's communications director, Khalid Samad, suggested that Prime Minister and Pakatan Harapan Chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim could identify suitable candidates for the vacant ministerial post before the Amanah selection process concluded.

Khalid recommended considering at least five of Amanah's top leaders for the role.