KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 — PAS lacks the power and support to alter the course of Malaysian politics, said former leader Datuk Mahfuz Omar who joined the offshoot Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) today.
After announcing his Amanah membership, the Pokok Sena MP claimed PAS did not have the supporters to affect real change in the country.
“Even though they received 141,111 new members from 2013 to 2017, if you take the average, that is only four new members a year at branch level,” said Mahfuz, adding there are 7,000 PAS branches nationwide.
“The addition of four party members a year cannot bring political change. This does not take into account those who have left PAS and joined the other Pakatan Harapan (PH) component parties, including DAP.”
He did not address Amanah’s own membership figures, which are believed to be significantly lower than those of PAS.
Today, Mahfuz claimed he had stayed on in PAS after a factional purge in an attempt to reconcile the party with PH before resigning in January.
He further claimed that most PAS members were sympathetic to his cause, but were unwilling to leave the Islamist party.
“My mission is for them to remain in PAS, but give their support to Pakatan Harapan. And if they are brave enough, leave PAS and join Pakatan Harapan,” he said.
Mahfuz claimed he left PAS due to its leadership’s inconsistencies and apparent support for the ruling Umno and Barisan Nasional.
