Amanah rejects working with Najib

Amanah has decided to reject any cooperation with Umno leaders who have been linked with corruption offences, in a move that will set back PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim’s plan to obtain the majority support of MPs to become prime minister.

Amanah, the smallest component in Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, reached the decision at a retreat attended by top party leaders in Kuala Lumpur last week.

“We reject cooperation with kleptocrats and bandits,” a leader who attended the retreat told MalaysiaNow.

He said Amanah would not cooperate with Umno leaders who have been convicted or are facing graft charges, despite the party’s support for Anwar’s efforts to “restore the people’s mandate” for PH.

In July, the High Court found former prime minister Najib Razak guilty of seven counts of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power, and money laundering related to RM42 million from former 1MDB unit SRC International.

Najib and current Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also facing multiple corruption charges, had in October thrown their support behind Anwar’s plan to topple the Perikatan Nasional government.

MalaysiaNow earlier revealed that the duo had written to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong expressing support for Anwar to replace Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister.

Anwar and Najib also appeared to have taken a common stand when debating the budget tabled early this month, with both stating they would not support the bill unless several conditions are met.

It is understood that a suggestion by an Amanah leader at the retreat that cooperation with Najib could be a temporary and convenient way to achieve a majority was opposed by the others.

“We toppled Barisan Nasional in the general election because of the 1MDB scandal involving Najib. How can we then work with him?” asked an Amanah leader who attended the retreat.

“It is PKR’s right to work with Najib, but Amanah as well as DAP reject kleptocrats and bandits,” he said.

Last month, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng scoffed at suggestions that his party work with Umno, and warned others against speaking on its behalf.

“I wish to stress that no outside party has the right to do so,” he said.