IT IS somewhat expected that Parti Amanah Negara will differ in its stance regarding the upcoming Melaka state election from its Pakatan Harapan (PH) ally DAP.
Media reports quoted Amanah secretary-general Muhammad Faiz Fadzil as stating that the PAS splinter’s position is to seek sincere partners to govern Melaka given “sincerity will create stability in the government”.
“Without sincerity, the government will not be stable as seen in Negeri Sembilan (N9) when the ‘blue wave’ turned into chaos,” justified the former Permatang Pasir state assemblyman in mainland Penang recently after attending the AgroMadani Sales Programme at the Tanjung Nibong Fishermen’s Complex in Telok Mas, Melaka.
“There are views within PH against cooperating with parties outside the coalition. We consider those views but from Amanah’s perspective, I believe it’s better to unite with allies to form a stable government in Melaka.”
Faiz said this in response to Melaka DAP chairman Khoo Poay Tiong who has rejected the possibility of cooperating with BN and Bersatu.
PH has been wooing its federal ally Barisan Nasional (BN) to collaborate in the Melaka stater polls. It is also wooing Bersatu, an estranged component of Perikatan Nasional (PN) via PH Plus electoral cooperation strategy.
As it is, PN would stick to wants to its BN-PN pact concept which was proven to be fruitful in the Aug 1 N9 state election.
For the record, Amanah retained one seat in the Melaka state polls in 2021 via its vice-president Adly Zahari who is also the Melaka Amanah chairman.
DAP meanwhile has four seats in the 27-seat Melaka state assembly. Key PH ally PKR failed to secure seats in the state polls five years ago.
The Election Commission (EC) will hold a special meeting tomorrow (Oct 7) to decide key dates for the 16th Melaka state election following the dissolution of the state assembly on Sept 23.
Basis of Amanah’s ‘open’ policy
So why does Amanah profess a seemingly open mind in this matter?
The PAS splinter party turns 11 this year. Despite setting out as a party that aimed to replace the Islamist party, it has yet to make a real impact on its own.
Its rahmatan lil alamin tagline which means compassion for all beings has not captured the mind of Malay Muslim voters – be it in Melaka or at the national level.
This is clearly illustrated by its president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu who is also Agriculture and Food Security Minister.
Mohamad represents the mixed parliamentary constituency of Kota Raja in the PH-ruled Selangor. As for the non-Malay vote bank, Amanah only fielded a Chinese candidate in Johor state elections.
Within the party hierarchy, there is a Chinese leader in one of its bureaus. There is not a single non-Malay among its vice presidents even though non-Malays should be represented.
On the ground, especially in urban areas, Amanah’s presence is muted compared to DAP.
Had there been consistent grassroots work over the years along with constant public engagement, only then would Amanah have agreed with DAP regarding the strategy towards Melaka state polls.
Within the unity government of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah appears to be playing second fiddle to UMNO and is consistently kept out of the limelight. – Oct 6, 2026
- Pragalath was a former sub-editor of Harapan Daily’s English desk. Prior to that he was attached with Malaysiakini and Free Malaysia Today (FMT).
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
