KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 — Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu wants his party members to refrain from discussing who will replace his recently deceased deputy Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub for now.

He assured them that the party’s top leadership will find a suitable time to discuss filling the vacant posts left by Salahuddin who was also domestic trade and cost of living minister with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Utusan Malaysia reported today.

"Don't worry about who will replace the late Salahuddin as we will have discussions with the prime minister about this. Don't let others play up this issue too.

"Amanah's leadership will take our time and carefully decide who the right person will be and it will be in accordance with party laws which is the norm,” Mohamad, better known as Mat Sabu, was quoted as saying.

Several news outlets had yesterday listed five potential candidates as Salahuddin’s replacement for his party as well as his ministerial posts, citing insider sources.

Salahuddin had an emergency operation after suffering a brain haemorrhage while working last Saturday.

He died aged 61 at the Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah in Alor Setar, Kedah at 9.23pm on July 23.

He was Amanah deputy president since 2015 and was also both Pulai MP and Simpang Jeram assemblyman.

He held the Pulai parliamentary seat in Johor Baru and the Simpang Jeram state seat for two consecutive terms.

Prior to that, he was also appointed as the agriculture and agro-based industry minister back in 2018 when Pakatan Harapan first came to federal power in the watershed 2018 general elections.

He is survived by his wife Datin Seri Fatimah Taha Fatimah and their six children.