Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu thanked the Registrar of Societies today for approving the party's change of name, which now allows it to prepare for the coming 14th general election.

Amanah, a splinter party of PAS, took over the defunct Workers Party and applied for a change of name to Parti Amanah Negara.

Mohamad, better known as Mat Sabu, said the delay in the approval was because ROS rejected the earlier proposed name which had the word 'Islam' in it.

He also expressed hope that RoS will approve the party's further proposed amendments.

"We will work with Pakatan Harapan and our first roadshow as the new opposition pact will be on Oct 9 in Johor," Mat Sabu said at a press conference in George Town today.

Accompanying him was DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng (photo).

The roadshow in Johor will also be attended by DAP senior leader and Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Mat Sabu also said Amanah would start discussing with DAP and PKR about the coming general election, which would be called by 2018.

Earlier, the Penang chief minister handed out appointment letters to 20 new village development and security committee (JKKK) members, who will first serve a three-month tenure before they are given a two-year term starting next year.

JKKK told to address lies and slander

The 20 are replacements for PAS members, who quit the posts after the party's fallout with DAP, after which Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, announced the Penang government is now known as Pakatan Harapan, which includes the new member Amanah.

Lim called on the new appointees to be the eyes and ears of the state government and the bridge between the state and its grassroots communities.

"The roles of JKKK members are very important as they are the frontliners for the community," the chief minister said.

"We hope they will address the many issues that crop up and give the best service they can on behalf of the state government.

"They are also expected to address the lies and slander that are being spread in the communities by certain quarters," Lim told a press conference in George Town before handing out the letters of appointment to the new appointees.

Mat Sabu was also asked to comment on PAS Penang secretary Fadzil Mohd Kemi's statement yesterday that Pakatan would never be able to seize Putrajaya without PAS and the Malays.

Fadzil also claimed that the Malay grassroots rejected Amanah because the party's leaders and members, who were from PAS, were "traitors".

Amanah had 35,000 members when formed

To this, Mat Sabu replied: "I am a Malay and I am the president of Amanah.

"We signed up many members, about 35,000 when we launched the party on Malaysia Day. Most come from Kelantan, a Malay dominant state."

On the accusation that Amanah leaders and members were "traitors", Mat Sabu merely said: "That is their (PAS’) opinion. For us. we shall carry on with our struggle."

Earlier, Mat Sabu said the role of the JKKK members was to defend state government policies and to reject lies and present the truth when slander is aired to them.

"Such lies and slander are usually related to sensitive issues and people are easily duped by these. So the JKKK members must be quick to deal with such situations," he added.

He said this in reference to the recent attacks against Lim and the state government for allegedly interfering in Islam.

This came about after the Penang Mufti Department proposed that the loudspeakers of mosques be used solely for the purpose of azan prayers and not for ceramah sessions, lectures or Quranic and zikir prayers.