The Penang government is unanimously behind Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB), the splinter group of PAS, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng announced last night.

Lim said he as the chief minister, his deputies Rashid Hasnon and P Ramasamy, and all state executive councillors supported the movement.

Formed by 18 progressive PAS leaders who were defeated in their party’s elections in June, GHB is poised to be a political party to replace PAS in a new opposition coalition to be formed soon after GHB is registered.

Lim’s remarks were greeted with thunderous applause from the large crowd present at the “Majlis Aidilfitri bersama Ketua Menteri” event in Seberang Jaya on mainland Penang last night.

“This is the stand of the Penang government. No one will go against this decision of the state government,” Lim declared in his speech.

“I want to state firmly that if anyone is against this decision, he or she is not from the state government.

“Without any doubt, the Penang government fully backs Gerakan Harapan Baru,” he added  to loud cheers and applause.

‘Time to instal a clean government’

Also present at the event were DAP senior adviser and Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang, and prominent GHB leaders including Mohamed Sabu, MPs Mujahid Yusof Rawa (Parit Buntar) and Khalid Samad (Shah Alam).

During the dinner, DAP, PKR and GHB leaders cut a large piece of cake to signify “unity” of the new movement.

Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, said it was time to change and instal a clean government, not only in Penang but in Putrajaya as well.

He said the prime minister for the new government in Putrajaya would still be PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

This is despite Anwar being currently held for a five-year jail term at the Sungai Buloh prison on a sodomy conviction.

Anwar, who turns 68 tomorrow, has also declared his support for a new opposition coalition, agreeing with DAP that Pakatan in its former form no longer exists.