AMANAH leader Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu who is affectionately known as Mat Sabu seems to be drumming up support ahead of crucial party elections for the Amanah National Committee for the 2023-2026 session in December.Amanah Temerloh chairman Azizul Shah Mohd Noor is the latest to give a push to Mat Sabu saying his experience as an ‘old man’ in politics was still needed by the party before the transition to new leadership, ahead of rumours that some in the party are trying to topple the Pakatan Harapan (PH) friendly leader.Azizul noted that he hoped that every member of the party could continue to support Mat Sabu as president one more time.“Elections and contests within parties are mature and democratic processes. I’m sure party experts and representatives can judge wisely. Let Mat Sabu continue to spend his last term as president.“The party still needs its role before the transition to new leadership which will take effect when the time comes. “It’s like the saying goes, it’s like pulling your hair in flour, don’t break your hair, don’t scatter the flour,” Sinar Harian quoted him as saying.
Before Azizul, it was UMNO’s communications director Datuk Lokman Noor Adam who came out in support of the Amanah leader. He pointed out that Mat Sabu was one of the leaders of the perpaduan (unity government) who worked the most diligently.He also claimed several efforts had been made by the Agriculture and Food Security Minister which clearly showed positive results and achievements.“I would like to share what Faiz Fadzil (Expert of the Amanah national leadership committee) said. There are many things we can measure, but we shouldn’t measure based on empty conversations or chats on TikTok.“We want to measure whether Mat Sabu is successful or not, we need to see under his leadership when looking after the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry,” he said in a video posted on Facebook two weeks ago.As for the rumours of a push against the leader within the party, little has transpired in the open. Any attempts to remove Mat Sabu would come from anti-Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim contingents within the party.
After 2018, some members of the Amanah openly traded barbs with PH and Anwar supporters on social media, showing their discontent with the PKR leader.However, Azizul further added that Amanah still needs the power of Mat Sabu as party president to maintain and strengthen the unity government and keep support for Anwar.He emphasised that Mat Sabu’s sincerity and loyalty to Anwar have been proven since the Reformasi era.“The role of Mat Sabu cannot be denied by anyone in the party,” he said.According to Azizul, the situation when PH went through bitter times when a group of traitors together in the ‘Langkah Sheraton’ was clear evidence of Amanah’s president support for the government. – Oct 29, 2023
Main photo credit: Bernama
