AMANAH must defend everyone regardless of their religion, said party president Mohamad Sabu.

“Suppose one day, non-Muslims face oppression. Amanah must stand up for the non-Muslim groups in such situations,” he said at the Amanah national convention in Klang today.

Mohamad, better known as Mat Sabu, said it was important for Amanah, which is part of the Pakatan Harapan bloc, to attract more non-Muslims members.

As such, he said, it was important to reflect on the concept of “mercy on all creations” if the party were to draw non-Muslim delegates.

“We want more non-Muslims to join our cause because Islam calls for mercy to all, not just Malays, Indians or Chinese, but everyone.

“In our battle against PAS, we must not adopt their methods. We need to uphold our approach of extending mercy to all,” he said.

He also said Amanah could win seats in states dominated by Perikatan Nasional (PN).

For this, he said, there must be collaboration and support between all unity government parties.

“If there is strong cooperation within the government, Amanah may be able to win six or seven seats in Kelantan and triumph in Terengganu and Kedah.

“For Amanah to win in Kelantan on its own is just wishful thinking, but the future is unknown.

“I am confident if we negotiate well and proceed effectively, the unity government can regain power (in PN-dominated states) in GE16,” he said.

Mohamad said Amanah must correct the perception that the position of Islam and Malays were under threat under the present government.

The agriculture and food security minister said propaganda by the opposition has sparked a phobia among Malays towards unity government allies.

“The outcome of the (2022) general election showed such a perception (that Islam and Malays are under threat) has somehow been accepted by the people.

“This became evident when prominent political figures from Amanah, Umno and PKR, such as ‘Puteri Reformasi’ (Nurul Izzah Anwar), lost in the polls.

“This is nothing but an attempt to create ‘phobia’ (to scare away Malays).

“Although countering such a narrative is a challenging task, we must face it,” he said.

Amanah holds its polls today, with Mohamad’s position as incumbent president under threat.

Delegates will elect 27 leaders who will head Amanah until 2026. These leaders will choose the top leadership. – December 24, 2023.