KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — Alarmed at the country’s increasingly fractious politics, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah with veteran and young leaders from all sides of the political divide have formed Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah) for racial unity, good governance and respect for the constitution. The veteran Umno lawmaker will launch the group this Friday, which organisers say seeks to revive the spirit of nationalism and the legacy of the first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, a fervent believer and proponent of racial unity.
Amanah central committee member Wan Saiful Wan Jan told The Malaysian Insider that the non-governmental organisation (NGO) wants to ensure that politics in the country “strictly observe and respect” the country’s federal constitution.
“The biggest difference with this NGO, this movement is that it will be led and joined by prominent leaders.
“The NGO is open to all political background...it aims to remind Malaysians that there is a need to unite the country. In recent times current politics have disintegrated the country further..we are tired of that,” said Wan Saiful who is a PAS member.
The purpose and function of Amanah, according to a statement sent to media organisations is to “to reaffirm, to inculcate and to re-ignite the sense of togetherness and true family spirit that prevailed among all Malaysians during the time of our common struggle for national independence.”
Wan Saiful said that the group was already a legitimate movement and that its application has been accepted by the Registrar of Societies (RoS).
The PAS man said that 15-20 committee members have already been chosen, and that they ranged from leaders of Barisan Nasional (BN), Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as well as members of civil society.
“People from different political affiliations have been chosen to discuss ideas of how to set this up...I am afraid I cannot reveal the names of those involved before Friday, but I can safely say that there are several prominent leaders in the committee — including Umno leaders who have held important posts in government.
“You might be surprised when you see who is in the committee,” added Wan Saiful.
He said that although members of election watchdog Bersih had initially been approached to join the group, he was now unsure whether Bersih leaders would still join the movement after July 9 rally.
“But those in Bersih are supportive of this (Amanah),” said Wan Saiful. He stressed however that Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali had not been approached to join the movement, as Amanah’s goals were “completely opposite” of “racist agendas.”
“Although we are an NGO, I cannot say we are not political. We will go into political issues but we are not partisan.
“We are not out here to find enemies. Our goal is so that all political parties can work together (productively),” said Wan Saiful, who heads the political think-tank Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS).
The objectives of Amanah are — to ensure national stability and peace, to acknowledge, affirm and respect the sovereignty of all Malaysian states consistent with the principles of federalism, to ensure that national institutions respect and uphold the law democratic principles, rights and universal values.
It also aims to push for a “transparent, accountable, competent and clean” government administration as well as an economic policy which can help achieve and sustain a “high standard of living” for Malaysians based on justice and fairness.
Tengku Razaleigh (picture) had once led Semangat 46 after Umno was declared illegal in 1988 arising from his unsuccessful bid for the party presidency then held by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad but has since rejoined the ruling Malay party. He has tried to contest against Datuk Seri Najib Razak but could not get enough nominations.
The long-serving Gua Musang MP still commands respect among Umno and other political parties who see him as a potential prime minister despite his age.
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