Echoing DAP, Mat Sabu says Amanah will never work with ‘traitorous’ Bersatu and PAS

KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 — Amanah today joined its coalition partner DAP in stating that it would not work with Bersatu or PAS in the next general election (GE15).

Amanah president Mohamad Sabu said that while the “big tent” approach is the way forward for the coalition for GE15, Pakatan Harapan (PH) did not want to work with the “traitors” that betrayed the people's mandate.

“The ‘Big Tent’ approach does not include joining forces or cooperating with parties that are in the government, be it Umno, Bersatu or PAS.

“It is unlikely that PH will cooperate with traitors who have clearly betrayed the trust and mandate of the people,” said Mohamad in a statement today.

Mohamad — or Mat Sabu, as he is more commonly known — was referring to several MPs who defected from PH coalition parties, causing the 2020 fall of the PH government in what is now known as the ‘Sheraton Move’.

However, he stressed that PH should continue negotiations with Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang), Parti Warisan and Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) on the possibility of forming a pact and increasing Opposition numbers to face Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) in GE15.

“Just as it is not right for us to think of PKR as traitors because its former vice-president and a dozen of its MPs jumped ship, it is also wrong for us to label Pejuang, Warisan and Muda as traitors for the betrayal of Mahiaddin and Bersatu,” he said.

Mahiaddin is Bersatu leader Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s legal name.

Earlier today, Utusan Malaysia reported that DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng stressed his party has closed its doors on cooperation with Bersatu and PAS because the two party’s leaders are “untrustworthy”.

The Bagan MP also said that he would refuse to meet Bersatu president and former prime minister Muhyiddin to discuss any form of cooperation as he was one of the main figures behind the ‘Sheraton Move’ that triggered the fall of the PH administration after only 22 months in power.

Lim also said that he does not trust PAS leader Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang as he does not keep his word.

Prior to this, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim confirmed having met Muhyiddin, but said there were no discussions about giving support to the latter to be a prime minister again.

Anwar, who chairs the Opposition PH coalition and is president of its component party PKR, reportedly described his meetings with Muhyiddin as “normal”.

Anwar had also previously called for PH component parties to engage with other Opposition parties before facing Barisan Nasional (BN) in the Johor state election — which the latter won with a two-thirds majority.