Speaking at Amanah’s first anniversary celebrations at the Sultan Sulaiman Club in Kuala Lumpur last night, Mat Sabu said the takeover could only happen because Amanah was part of the Pakatan Harapan opposition alliance.

In Malaysian politics, no party could stand on its own, he said and added that “in politics there are no permanent enemies and there are no permanent friends.”

He reminded his audience that he had once been jailed when Dr Mahathir Mohamad was prime minister, but that now the veteran leader was chairman of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM).

Mat Sabu said that Mahathir, now powerless, wanted to remove the Barisan Nasional government that he once led.

“Speak up against an evil leader and not an evil leader who has retired,” he urged.

Mat Sabu also hailed jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as someone who possessed an indomitable spirit, for signing the declaration to fight the contentious National Security Council Act.

He added that in Pakatan Harapan’s first meeting, the pact achieved a consensus that Anwar would be Prime Minister if Pakatan Harapan came to power.

Mat Sabu’s endorsement of Anwar, comes in the wake of Mahathir’s declaration that PPBM protem president Muhyiddin Yassin would be named Prime Minister should BN lose power, and if Muhyiddin was selected by PPBM and was endorsed by Pakatan Harapan.

However, DAP acting national chairman Tan Kok Wai said Anwar remained Pakatan Harapan’s main choice and that there should be no further talk about who would become Prime Minister.