Parti Amanah Negara the official name of Gerakan Harapan Baru — Mat Sabu

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KUALA LUMPUR: The chairman of Gerakan Harapan Baru (HB), Mohamad Sabu yesterday announced the usage of the name, Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) as the official name of HB.

The former PAS deputy president, who was better known as Mat Sabu, said HB had taken over an existing political party, namely, Malaysian Workers’ Party and rebranded it as Amanah and the details would be submitted to the Registrar of Societies (RoS) as soon as possible for its approval.

“We have decided to emerge via a political party of the working group… whatever amendments of name and party constitution we will submit to RoS, and the launching would be on Sept 16, 2015.

“With this start, it simultaneously brings to the fore another Islamic political party,” he told a media conference, here, yesterday.

HN is a platform for professionals from PAS who were said to be disappointed after they were rejected by party members at the annual assembly in June.

Mat Sabu said their memberships in PAS had officially dropped the moment HB took over the Malaysian Workers’ Party.

Prior to this, the movement aspired to use the name, Islamic Progressive Party, as the official name of the political party, but the application was rejected by RoS.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also Home Minister, said the application was rejected because Islam was the right of all Muslims, and the use of the name by a political party could cause confusion.

In the same media conference, Mat Sabu also announced the committee of Amanah, headed by himself as chairman, Ahmad Awang as general adviser, former PAS vice-president Salahudin Ayub as deputy chairman, Parit Buntar Member of Parliament Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa as vice-chairman, Kota Raja Member of Parliament Dr Mariah Ahmad as wanita chief and Mohd Sany Hamzan as youth chief.

Also appointed to the committee was Mohd Anuar Mohd Tahir as secretary-general, Asmuwi Ani as treasurer-general and former PAS youth chief Suhaizan Kaiat as organisation secretary.

Meanwhile, among former PAS leaders listed as Amanah committee members were Kuala Krai Member of Parliament Dr Mohd Hatta Md Ramli, Shah Alam Member of Parliament Khalid Abdul Samad, Sepang Member of Parliament Mohd Hanifa Maidin, former Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Nizar Jamaludin, and Kedah PAS Deputy Commissioner 1, Datuk Phahrolrazi Mohd Zawawi.

Mat Sabu said he expected 35,000 members would be registered by the time the party is launched in September.

In the meantime, he said, he would wait for the approval from RoS before starting discussions with DAP and PKR on the setting up of Pakatan Rakyat 2.0.

In addition, they would also study the latest development in Sarawak before deciding to contest or not at the State election which was expected soon.

He said Amanah would develop political cooperation with the governments of Penang, Selangor and Kelantan under DAP, PKR and PAS. — Bernama