IPOH: Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa has dismissed claims of existence of a faction within the party.
The claims arise following rumours about the position of party president which was said to have changed following the vote during the Amanah National Convention scheduled from Dec 22 to 24.
Mujahid said there was no issue of a split as the five highest positions including the president of the party would be determined by the 27 new National Committee members.
"There is no issue about it because for Amanah, among the 27 elected, they will choose who is qualified to be president," he said after opening the state-level Amanah Convention at Tower Regency Hotel here, today.
Also present were Perak Amanah chairman Datuk Asmuni Awi; Perak PKR chairman Chang Lih Kang; Perak DAP treasurer Howard Lee Chuan How and Perak Umno secretary, Datuk Aminuddin Md Hanafiah.
A news portal had reported that Amanah Youth Chief Mohd Hasbie Muda confirmed a notable disagreement between two factions within the party.
Mohd Hasbie said one faction aimed to retain Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, also known as Mat Sabu, as president, while the other advocated for a new leadership led by Mujahid.
On a separate note, Mujahid said that there was still a large gap between the grassroots members of Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) and Barisan Nasional (BN), despite the cooperation under the unity government established for a year.
As such, Mujahid suggested that space and time must be given to the grassroots to achieve compatibility.
"This is the first time (Amanah and BN) sit together in the government so there is indeed a bit of a gap," he said.
Meanwhile, the former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) said that a convention involving the entire machinery of the unity government would be held on Dec 28, and the details and location would be officially announced later.