Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamed Sabu at a ceramah today poked fun at his former party PAS which is currently being courted by its former arch rival Umno.

Mohamed, popularly known as Mat Sabu, had the 300-strong crowd in stitches when he said it was natural for Umno to do the courting because "they are males".

"But why lift your skirts to show your thighs?" he asked in obvious reference to PAS.

"If you do that, these men will come to tackle you," he quipped in Pajak Song, Kepala Batas, during the talk held in conjunction with the launch of Penang Amanah.

Mat Sabu did not mention PAS by name but was referring to the recent developments involving Umno wooing PAS .

During his party's AGM in Kuala Lumpur which ended today, Prime Minister and Umno president Najib Abdul Razak had extended PAS the olive branch, saying their cooperation would be "perfect" for Malaysia.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang responded by saying the party was willing to forge ties with Umno if the latter practised Islamic principles.

Mat Sabu said he was confident that Amanah would grow in numbers as the party has managed to sign up many members across the country.

During the launch, Amanah announced that it had opened seven branches in Kepala Batas and eight in Tasek Gelugor, two constituencies held by Umno.

Mat Sabu reminded the party's members that their main enemies were corruption and racism and that BN-Umno would continue to whip up racial and religious sentiments despite all the allegations of corruption involving its top leaders.

"We will fight this racism!" he thundered to loud cheers from the mainly Malay Muslim crowd.

"For us in Pakatan Harapan and Amanah, we will reject Malays, Chinese or Indians who are corrupt whatever their religion.

"The Malays, Chinese or Indians who are honest and not corrupt, we will support," said the former Pokok Sena MP to the the crowd who responded with a resounding "yes".

Anti-NSC bill campaign

Mat Sabu also cited the example of DAP which comprised more non-Malay members who organised fundraising dinners for the flood victims in Kelantan last year.

"Who organised the fundraising? Did Umno organise any dinners for the flood victims in Kelantan? Did Perkasa do it?" Mat Sabu asked.

"It was DAP, the Chinese party. They helped built more homes than the Kelantan government," he said as the crowd cheered.

"We should have such an attitude […] to help each other regardless of race or religion [...] don't be racist," he said.

Present at the event was Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Mat Sabu, who left the event earlier to catch a flight, also launched Amanah's 'Oppose the National Security Council Bill' campaign against the proposed legislation which has been deemed oppressive and unnecessary by civil society organisations.