KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 — The newly-launched Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB) movement by PAS’s defeated progressive faction is looking to set up its political base in Johor, where its leaders believe it commands the most grassroots’ support.

Malay Mail Online understands that the group has begun making trips to the southern peninsular state and held informal talks with PAS divisions and non-governmental groups in an attempt to convince them of its reasons and feasibility to be the country’s progressive Islamist party.

“Of course when you want to start a movement you need to have a good, fertile ground, definitely we would want to look for somewhere where (supporters) can easily get in touch with us,” Parit Buntar MP Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa told Malay Mail Online when contacted.

“It seems like Johor is fertile ground, where 80 per cent of PAS divisions have been waiting for this new development,” he added, referring to the GHB outfit.

But Mujahid stressed that while the group may begin focusing its efforts on Johor it did not mean that the future political party would be confined to that state alone.

“Johor is a good starter, but as a national party we definitely have to be all over the country.

“We define ourselves as a progressive Islamic party, and our number one opponent is PAS,” Mujahid said.

Former PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub told Malay Mail Online that Johor would be a suitable base for the new group as the Pakatan Rakyat opposition had made some considerable inroads in the Umno stronghold.

“Our role is to strengthen Pakatan, naturally Johor is our new ground. We cannot deny that Johor is a very strong base, after Selangor,” he said.

Malay Mail Online understands that the Gerakan Harapan Baru is also considering fielding its popular leaders like Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, former PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu and Khalid Samad in Johor for the next general election.

When asked to comment on this, another PAS progressive Dr Hatta Ramli played down this claim, attributing the group’s Johor focus to “overwhelming” support in the state.

“There is a little more concentration in Johor because of the support there. But it will be a national party, so the party will be mobilised in the country’s capital and Klang Valley,” he told Malay Mail Online.

In the 2013 general election, Barisan Nasional (BN) won 21 parliamentary seats while DAP and PKR won the five remaining seats.

BN controls  38 out of the 56 state seats in Johor, while DAP has 13 seats. PAS has 4 while PKR has one.

Last month, GHB confirmed that they are in talks to form a new political party centred on Islamic principles, but will have “nothing to do” with lobby group Persatuan Ummah Sejahtera Malaysia (PasMa).

PasMa had previously reiterated that it will remain as an internal pressure group in PAS, but will help lead the effort to form a new Islamic party to replace PAS in a new federal opposition pact with PKR and DAP.