Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) is of the opinion that DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang had not betrayed the PAS splinter party by extending an olive branch to PAS.

“No no no, I think that was not the idea. The idea was to urge all parties to fight Barisan Nasional,” Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub told Malaysiakini.

And neither is Amanah slighted by Lim’s move.

Salahuddin pointed out how Amanah had, in the past, also urged all opposition parties to work together.

“I gave so many statements on the willingness of Amanah to get together (with other parties), to put aside our differences.

“The willingness of not only DAP, but Amanah, from day one, has always opened our doors to any party, including PAS,” he said.

He nevertheless lamented that PAS had always and continued to push aside Amanah’s willingness to work together.

“I think we should let the people judge who has always denied the urging for one opposition front,” added Salahuddin.

Further stressing the importance for all opposition parties to be united in facing the next election, Salahuddin called for all quarters to look at the bigger picture - of various issues plaguing the country such as the 1MDB scandal and the goods and services tax (GST).

Lim, earlier this week, said that he was willing to work with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang if the latter shared the same commitment to combat kleptocracy.

The Gelang Patah MP had also questioned whether  Hadi was willing to make such a commitment.

Meanwhile, Amanah secretary-general Anuar Tahir also confirmed that the party was not hurt by Lim’s proposal.

“No, not at all. Everyone has the right to voice out their views, we must respect all views,” he said.

He was also of the belief that Lim’s olive branch had more to do with asking whether PAS was ready to fight kleptocracy, in view of the current amicable ties between PAS and Umno.

“There has been no firm statement from PAS on fighting kleptocracy, so Lim was probably asking to get confirmation. It wasn’t about reconciliation,” Anuar added.

Like Salahuddin, although he emphasised the importance of all opposition parties to be united, Anuar decried PAS’ “ever-changing stances” on various issues.

As such, this was the reason why Amanah had chosen Jan 30 as the deadline for PAS to confirm its intention whether or not to join the opposition coalition.

“We (Amanah) will continue with our previous schedule. We shouldn’t wait for anyone anymore.

“I don’t know about other opposition parties but for Amanah, if they (PAS) don’t want to negotiate, so be it, we will continue (to negotiate with others for a united opposition front),” he stressed.

PAS had, during its muktamar in 2015, unanimously agreed to break ties with DAP after the latter accused the Islamist party of pursuing its theocratic goals.

Amanah, consisting of former PAS members, was then formed and Pakatan Harapan was established by DAP, PKR and Amanah soon after.

Harapan, in December last year, formalised working relations with Umno splinter group Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).

PAS, on the other hand, had consistently stressed that it was not open to working with DAP and Amanah.