In the midst of a political landscape fraught with impending by-elections, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu has leveled allegations against Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, asserting that the PAS president is resorting to unsubstantiated claims in a bid to bolster his prospects. Addressing reporters following the Ceramah Kelompok event at Taman Sri Kasih, Mohamad Sabu, who leads Amanah, accused Hadi of fabricating statements rooted in desperation as the electoral battle heats up.
Mohamad Sabu’s remarks were prompted by Hadi’s recent assertions, particularly his claim that PAS severed its ties with the Democratic Action Party (DAP) due to a divergence of opinion regarding the Islamic state agenda, dating back to 2008. Mohamad Sabu swiftly countered this narrative, revealing that it was PAS itself that underwent a paradigm shift, eschewing the Islamic state concept in favor of championing a welfare state vision. This transformation, Mohamad Sabu emphasized, transpired before the 12th General Election, and the recalibration was even promoted during the election campaign.
The Amanah president, Mohamad Sabu, continued his critique by delving into Hadi’s portrayal of the emergence of Amanah. Hadi had suggested that former PAS leaders departed the party out of electoral apprehension and formed Amanah. Mohamad Sabu contested this interpretation, asserting that the divergence was fundamentally ideologically driven and was not precipitated by fear of defeat. He rebuffed the notion that anxiety compelled the formation of Amanah, pointing to deeper philosophical distinctions as the impetus behind the new political entity.
Venturing into the realm of historical context, Mohamad Sabu raised Hadi’s past statements that painted UMNO in a negative light. He highlighted the abrupt about-face in 2015 when Hadi decided to terminate cooperation with DAP without prior consultation and instead formed a political alliance with UMNO. The Amanah leader further emphasized that contentious topics such as hudud, despite their significance, were conspicuously absent from the discussion table during the emergence of the Perikatan Nasional coalition, even amidst a memorandum between the government and the Opposition.