Mohamad said perception was vital in influencing Malay voters, and religious issues had persuaded many Muslim voters to reject Pakatan Harapan at the 2022 general election.

“For example in Kelantan you can go on TikTok and talk about how the water looked like milk tea, it won’t matter. What matters is that Islam is ‘safe’,” he said, adding that this should serve as a lesson for Amanah.

“Amanah must show the public that they are defending Islam. This will help us win at the next general election,” Mohamad told Amanah Youth at a special meeting.

His remarks came after Amanah Youth leader Hasbie Muda had revealed that Amanah enjoyed the support of only 1% to 5% of Malay voters. Hasbie said the youth wing would seek to have one member elected as an assemblyman in every state at the next general election.

Mohamad urged the youth wing to be patient and not lose hope as it prepares for the general election.

“When we are championing a cause, we cannot sulk or give up,” he said, recalling the time he was in PAS and had campaigned for the party in the south of the peninsula, an area where PAS did not have much support.

Mohamad was deputy president of PAS until he broke away with a group of supporters in 2015 to form Amanah, which teamed up with PKR and DAP to form Pakatan Harapan.

The party president reminded the youth wing that many party leaders had to stand in elections multiple times before finally becoming an elected representative.

He said that the party could not resort to finding fault with others when it hits a roadblock. “But must treat it as being part and parcel of our struggle,” he said.