AMANAH, Pakatan Harapan’s smallest party, has lost the fight against Islamic conservatism, a forum heard last night.

USCI University Professor Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi, a DAP member, said Amanah has failed to quash religious rhetoric among the Malay middle class and maintain a moderate form of Islam.

“I blame Amanah. They were there when we won the elections, and I said Islam would be the battlefront. And now, we have big trouble because of Islamic conservatism and Islamophobia.

“Middle-class Malays are entrenched in religious rhetoric. And it’s all Amanah’s fault. They were there to be at the front line of taking Islam to (become) a moderate force.”

He told the Bangsar forum, titled “Should Malaysia wait until November for a transition?”, that Amanah, a PAS splinter, should be strong and influential after PH won federal power in 2018.

“Understandably, when they split from PAS, they were very weak, but now that they are in the government and have been given power, I expected them to go to the ‘battleground’... in WhatsApp groups and mosques.

“If they don’t come down to the ground, at least prepare your second line of leaders. Who are their second line of leaders other than the four or five?”

Other panellists at the forum were MPs William Leong (Selayang), Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Setiawangsa), Wong Chen (Kelana Jaya) and Chang Lih Kang (Tg Malim).

The PKR lawmakers were vocal in calling for Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to hand over the reins to party president Anwar Ibrahim in May instead of November.

Taking a different position, Tajuddin said PH’s problems are not due to the transition issue, but Amanah’s weaknesses.

“They (Amanah) are not waging a battle. They are busy becoming ministers.

“They haven’t come down (to the ground). This problem we are facing is beyond Dr Mahathir or Anwar.

“Even if we have Anwar now, I’m not sure we can solve PH’s problems. Because they have not been doing their work.” – January 14, 2020.