GEORGE TOWN, July 21 — The Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB) is a movement led by progressive leaders who only want to see a moderate and inclusive Malaysia, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said today in defending the newly-formed movement by PAS’s ousted leaders.

The DAP leader dismissed descriptions of GHB as “just like another PAS”, saying the movement that will be formalised into a new party under a different name this September, is very different from the Islamist party.

“The fact that PAS kept whacking GHB is very clear that the movement is far different from them,” he told reporters at a press conference at his office in Komtar today.

The Penang lawmaker pointed out that those behind GHB are progressive and moderate Muslims.

“We can work with the progressives for an inclusive Malaysia,” he said.

He added that unlike PAS, GHB will dare to voice their opposition to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal and demand for answers.

A few days ago, Lim also denied suggestions that “GHB is a proxy for DAP” and labelled the claims as coming from Umno and PAS leaders who support Umno.

Last week, former PAS secretary general Mustafa Ali claimed GHB will be DAP’s proxy just like how PAS used to be labeled as when the Pakatan Rakyat alliance was formed more than seven years ago.

Progressive leaders who were ousted in the PAS party elections in June formed the GHB recently with plans to register it as a political party by the end of this year.

Former PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu is the pro-tem chairman for the new movement and the movement kicked off its nationwide roadshow in Perlis on Sunday night.