The election of Mohamad Sabu as the Amanah president despite the latter not garnering the highest number of votes, is not to appease him.
According to party vice-president Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud, the decision was made by the central leadership committee, albeit not unanimously.
"Mohamad (Sabu) is the party's founder and we see how he has succeeded as a minister.
"Besides, this is his final term as president and his latest appointment has nothing to do with pleasing him," she was quoted as telling Utusan Malaysia today.
Siti Mariah (above) was asked why Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad was not elevated to the party's top position, after garnering the highest number of votes.
"Why not Dzulkefly? Because he is an intellectual. The T20 (group) may support him, but how many can understand his speech?
"This means that Mohamad's appointment as president was not about pleasing him, but it's about complementing each other. True, not all may agree with this, but this was the decision made."
Last Sunday, Amanah delegates voted to elect 27 central committee members who then convened a meeting to decide on the top five positions.
In the first stage, Dzulkefly bagged the most votes (900), followed closely by former federal territories minister Khalid Abd Samad who obtained 899 votes.
Mohamad, who's better known as Mat Sabu, came in eighth with 613 votes.
Siti Mariah said that former minister Mujahid Yusof Rawa, who was elected deputy president despite only garnering the fourth-highest votes, has three years to build up the party's strength before taking over the leadership.
"We have to admit that Amanah is still not the (voters') choice, although the party is known.
"We champion moderation in Islam. We don't say we are right, and others are wrong all the time.
"And then when the party won and became part of the government, we (Amanah) got busy with administering the country rather than strengthening the party.
"However, I'm confident that this problem can be resolved in three to four years’ time," she said.
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