AMANAH president Mohamad Sabu has urged party members not to ignore those from PAS despite the bad blood between the two.

He said it is possible to turn PAS members into Pakatan Harapan supporters because not all of them support the Islamist party’s new political pact with Umno.

Amanah has recorded its highest growth of new members in Kelantan – a state ruled by PAS since 1990.

He said majority of those joining Amanah are PAS members from Pasir Mas.

Current Pasir Mas MP is PAS youth deputy chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari.

Mohamad, who is former PAS deputy president, said those in PAS has a soft spot for him and other Amanah leaders who were once part of the Islamist party.

“Don’t leave them behind,” Mohamad said in his closing speech at the party’s national convention in Shah Alam today. 

“I recently met with a PAS veteran and I can see from his face, he still loves me.  I am confident even the president (Hadi Awang) still loves me,” he said, drawing laughs from the audience.

“We love him but what can we do if he does not love us back?”

He told Amanah members to not give up in expanding in Kelantan and Terengganu despite these states being PAS bastions.

“It is a challenge for us to get into PAS and Umno’s fortresses, even more so they are now partners.

“We have to work harder. We need to explain to the people in Kelantan and Terengganu about our rahmatan iil alamin concept.

“Not all of them can accept the cooperation. We must use this opportunity to tell them our political concept.”

Speaking to reporters later, Mohamad said besides Kelantan, there are PAS members from Terengganu and Kedah who are joining Amanah.

“It is not easy for PAS members because they have been thought to hate Umno since the very beginning, and they once called Umno members infidels.

“Itt is not easy for them to accept muafakat nasional,” Mohamad said, referring to the political charter signed by Umno and PAS. – December 8, 2019.