'Don't lose focus on party matters once you're a minister' - Mat Sabu

SEREMBAN - All parties in the unity government need to continue strengthening their respective parties even as they hold positions in the government.

Amanah President Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said that the strength of a party determined victories in elections, not the government positions they hold.

"Differentiating between parties and the government is crucial.

"Relying on the government alone to strengthen a party is not viable.

"I take the example of Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN)'s history.

"They were strong parties but faced defeat in the 2018 and 2022 elections.

"Being in the government doesn't necessarily make a party strong," he stated after officiating the 8th Amanah State Convention in Seremban recently.

He cited the fate of Pakatan Harapan (PH), that won the 14th General Election but later faced losses in the Cameron Highlands, Semenyih, and Tanjung Piai by-elections.

He said that the situation highlighted that being in power or not was not the sole determinant of victory; rather, the strength of the party holds utmost importance.

"So, once in government as a minister, deputy, or holding positions in GLCs, we shouldn't neglect the party's matters.

"This is because during elections, the party's strength determines victory," he said.

Simultaneously, he entrusted Amanah representatives to make selections for the National Leadership Committee of Amanah for the 2023 to 2026 term next week.

"It's up to the representatives to choose 27 individuals who will determine the president, deputy, vice-presidents, and all committee positions; it's entirely up to the representatives," he stated.

A total of 124 candidates are vying for 27 positions in the Amanah National Leadership Committee for the 2023 to 2026 session in an election held concurrently with the 2023 National Convention in Klang, Selangor, on Dec 23 and 24.