AMANAH will accept Umno leavers if they support the party’s principles and reject corruption, said party president Mohamad Sabu as speculation mounts over the future of the Malay party’s elected representatives who left it last week.

Mohamad said some of the Umno deserters are looking at joining Pakatan Harapan’s smallest party.

“We know that some of them are eyeing Amanah. We review them case by case, one by one,” said Mohamad during his winding-up speech at the party convention in Ipoh today.

He said Umno was breaking up after its defeat, with even former Malacca chief minister Rahim Thamby Chik wanting to leave.

Mohamad said it was important to build support for Amanah, particularly among the Malays, so that it would not be accused of being a stooge of DAP.

The defence minister reminded Amanah delegates of the importance of maintaining harmony in Pakatan Harapan, as most of the Umno deserters had opted to join Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Bersatu.

“We are strong today because we were with other parties in PH. Our success in Johor, for instance, would have been impossible without the other parties. How many seats could we have won if we contested alone? Not even one, I reckon.

“Our strength lies in PH, and we must protect this coalition. We must ensure that issues and misunderstanding are thrashed out among ourselves,” said Mohamad.

He said misunderstanding and miscommunication between the Barisan Nasional component parties had contributed to their downfall.

“This was what happened to BN. MCA and MIC are left with one seat each (after the court voided the Cameron Highlands election results). As for Gerakan and MyPPP, nobody knows where they are now,” said the Kota Raja MP.

Mohamad took a dig at his old party, PAS, for its anti-ICERD rally with its one-time nemesis Umno.  

He said it did not make sense for them to shout “Hidup Melayu” from Umno’s truck.

“The way to save the Malays is to not steal from Tabung Haji or the funds allocated for the army, which consists of 90% Malays.”

During last Saturday’s rally, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang sat beside Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who has been charged for corruption and abuse of power.

Also at the rally were former prime minister Najib Razak and Rosmah Mansor, who are both also facing corruption charges.

Mohamad said that the new government was committed to opening up the democratic space and would not repeat what the previous government did with protestors.

“They can rally all they want. We are not vengeful and will not lock them up,” said Mohamad.

Besides two detentions (1984-1986 and 1987-1989) under the Internal Security Act, Mohamad used to be a target of arrests during and after protests. – December 16, 2018.