KLANG, Dec 24 — Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu retained his position as Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) president following the party’s Leadership Committee members’ election earlier today.

This will be his third and final term leading Amanah as the party constitution stipulates that an individual may only hold the post of party president for three consecutive terms.

The appointment of Mohamad Sabu to stay as president was anticipated by several political observers and party members.

Senator Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa was appointed as the new deputy president

The position was vacant following the death of Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub in July.

The three vice-presidents appointed are Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad, Seri Serdang state assemblyman Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud and deputy defence minister Adly Zahari.

According to the party’s constitution, the top five positions in Amanah are decided by the 27 members of the party’s national committee, who are themselves elected by party delegates at the national level.

Earlier, the party announced its new 27-member committee to lead the party for the 2023-2026 term.

Dzulkefy ranked the highest with 900 votes, followed by communications director Khalid Samad, who gained one less vote than the health minister.

Shah Alam MP Azli Yusof ranked third with 755 votes, while outgoing vice-presidents Mujahid (699) and Datuk Mahfuz Omar (694) came fourth and fifth respectively.

Mohamad Sabu ranked eighth on the list with 613 votes.

The announcement of the top five leaders was only made after more than an hour of deliberations, by which time the hall was only half full.

"I know even with all these weaknesses, I will lead with my friends,” said Mohamad Sabu in his speech after his re-election as Amanah president was confirmed.

He underscored the importance of coalition politics and Amanah’s close working relationship with its political partners.

"Amanah’s strength lies in the coalition. We need to preserve our relationship with Keadilan (PKR), DAP, and Barisan Nasional.

"We need to strengthen coalition politics. The election is in four years’ time. That’s not a long way away.

"We must prepare. And by that time, the president won’t be me. It will be someone else,” he said, acknowledging that this will be his final term as Amanah president.

Mohamad Sabu also advised the party not to delay its next internal polls, saying that it would be better that they are held earlier to make it easier to plan for the next general election.

Mujahid also added that the consensus to choose the top five leaders in Amanah was easily achieved as the ‘Syura’ (meeting) method was employed in the decision-making process.

"No vote was made without a consensus.

"Trust and its weight that we shoulder among us are far more important than the appointments themselves,” the Amanah deputy president said.