Amanah must move to the forefront of politics, says Mujahid

 

Amanah vice-president Mujahid Yusof Rawa says he wants to lay the foundations for a strong showing by the party in GE16.

PETALING JAYA: Amanah vice-president Mujahid Yusof Rawa says the Pakatan Harapan component must step out of the shadows and be at the coalition’s forefront to perform better in the next general election.

“My mission is to rid the party of its image as the ‘new kid on the block’ among its political allies.

“Our partners must recognise and respect us for our ability to contribute big ideas which can be accepted as government policy,” he told FMT in an interview.

Mujahid cited as an example the concept of “rahmatan lil’ alamin” (mercy to all creations) which he advocated for when serving as religious affairs minister between 2018 and 2020.

He said Amanah must also engage more frequently in political debates so that the public has a better understanding of the party’s viewpoints.

This would help lay the foundations for a strong showing in the 16th general election, said Mujahid.

He said Amanah must work hard to improve on the eight parliamentary seats it currently holds, so that it is in a better position to demand more Cabinet positions.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Cabinet presently includes two ministers and two deputy ministers from the party.

“If Amanah wants to stand out, we need to win more seats in the next general election,” he said in response to complaints by the party’s youth leaders that it was short-changed during the recent Cabinet reshuffle.

The former Parit Buntar MP said he was ready to shoulder the responsibility of making the party more prominent.

However, he stopped short of saying that he intended to challenge Amanah president Mohamad Sabu for the party’s top post or vie for the post of deputy president, left vacant following the death of Salahuddin Ayub.

Salahuddin, who held the post of domestic trade and cost of living minister, passed away in July.

Amanah is set to hold its party elections this weekend.

Delegates will decide on the composition of its 27-member central committee. The committee will then determine the party’s office-bearers, including its president, for the upcoming term. - FMT