SHAH ALAM: Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) president Mohamad Sabu said yesterday the party remains committed towards preserving the Islamic agenda despite also being a multiracial party.

He said Amanah is highly aware of the importance of defending and preserving the faith and character of Muslims in the country.

“We care very much about developing the Islamic way of thinking, especially towards the young, so that they will be knowledgeable,” he said in his speech at the launch of the new party in Shah Alam yesterday.

Mohamad, who is better known as Mat Sabu, said Amanah is a multiracial party and does not focus on just a single race, a fact that they are very proud of.

“I am proud of the attendance here today (yesterday). All races are here, not like the red-shirt rally that is monopolised by just one race,” he said to the cheering crowd.

Mohamad, who was PAS deputy president, was referring to the red-shirt rally at Padang Merbok in Kuala Lumpur, where thousands of rally-goers in red shirts gathered yesterday to defend the position of Malays in the country.

Amanah was officially launched yesterday at national level, while it was still awaiting the approval of the Registrar of Societies (RoS). Amanah is taking over and rebranding the Workers’ Party to a new political party spearheaded by progressive leaders who recently left PAS.

Amanah secretary-general Anuar Tahir said the new party is expected to be approved by the RoS very soon.

“For today’s (yesterday) programme, the Workers’ Party is launching its new party name.

“We are having this launch after we referred and sought advice. It is because the people have been waiting for this. We will only make it official and start operating when everything has been approved.

“We are confident, with God’s bidding, that Amanah will be approved,” he told reporters after a press conference announcing the launch of the party.

The event was attended by over 3,000 people dressed in orange. Participants also sang the national and new party anthems.

Also present were DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and parliamentary advisor Lim Kit Siang. The PKR leadership was represented by president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, secretary-general Rafizi Ramli and election director Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in digitaledge Daily, on September 17, 2015.