Mohamad Sabu arrives at the Amanah National Convention in Ipoh December 14, 2018. ― Picture by Farhan Najib

IPOH, Dec 14 — Empowering the economy of those who lag behind and bridging the economic gap regardless of race, are among key factors which can pave the way for harmony in the country, said Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) president Mohamad Sabu.

At the same time, he said the government should ensure that the freedom and opportunities that had been granted to the people should not be abused to incite racial and religious hatred for the political benefit of certain quarters.

“The people should not take advantage of the situation to achieve the political objectives of certain groups or question matters which are fundamental rights that have already been enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

“The government’s responsibility is to preserve unity, stability and harmony among the people based on the Constitution, and not based on a zero-sum game where the interests and rights of one group should be sacrificed in the interest of other groups,” he said in his presidential address at the 2018 Amanah National Convention at the Casuarina Convention Centre, Meru here, today.

A total of 1,000 delegates from 156 registered party divisions as well as 3,000 local and foreign observers are attending the three-day convention themed ‘Fulfilling Trust, Building Nation’ beginning from today.

Mohamad reminded the Malays to be daring enough to make a paradigm shift in planning progress for the Malays by going beyond racial sentiments.

“We must accept the fact that failure of the Malays to advance is not because of the existence of other races in the country but due to our own attitude and mindset,” he said.

He drew the attention of the delegates to the effects of corrupt practices among government leaders and administrators which had caused a big dent in the country’s coffers as the revenues were pocketed by cronies and white-collar thieves.

He said the injustices in management and governance, greed, corruption and inequality in wealth distribution had repeatedly led to financial and economic crises, making it burdensome for the poor.

Mohamad also pointed out that power comes with the burden of trust and responsibility along with all forms of trials and challenges.

“Let us not be intoxicated by power lest we drift away and eventually fall in disgrace” he said, cautioning that Amanah must prove that the party and Pakatan Harapan (PH) could fulfil the mandate given by the people.

The Amanah president also reminded the delegates that if the Barisan Nasional government which had been in power for so long could finally be toppled by the people, it was not impossible for the party and the newly formed PH government to suffer the same fate.

“Do be aware that the power we have today is not our absolute right as the power is borrowed from the people. As such never ever underestimate the voice of the people.

“We should not fail to understand the needs of the people and deviate from their demands because if we are not careful this could also lead to our downfall,” he said.

Commenting on the economy, Mohamad said trade tensions between the United States and China had also affected world economic growth, particularly South-east Asia economies.

“Not only the ringgit, but almost all currencies of emerging markets are under pressure due to world economic factors. This phenomenon has had a direct impact on Malaysia’s economic potential and affected the country’s balance of trade.

In view of this, he said the government had taken various steps including implementing cost saving measures while ensuring that these measures would not have a negative impact on the country’s economic growth.

In addition, Mohamad, who is also Defence Minister, said Amanah was determined to continue to play a role in the government and at the international level in resolving disputes between parties.

“The Rahmatal Lil A’lamin Islamic concept has always taken the lead in resolving conflicts. Progressive, democratic and scholarly Islamic nations should be consolidated to become a role model to the Muslim world,” he said.

He said as long as Amanah remains in the government, the Rohingya issue and the like, will not be allowed to continue without any possible solutions.

“This is because the issue is no longer Myanmar’s internal issue but a joint diplomatic challenge because the outcome of the evictions and killings have reached our shores as well as neighbouring countries in the past decades,” he said. — Bernama