Haji Mohamad Sabu, commonly known as Mat Sabu, is a Malaysian politician, formerly serving as the former deputy president of the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party.
Career
He was elected to the post in 2011, running on a moderate platform against the conservative incumbent Nasharudin Mat Isa. He had previously served as one of the party"s vice-presidents. He was the first non-alim elected to the party"s leadership or deputy leadership in over 25 years.
On July 13 2015 he launched a new political movement Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB).
Mat Sabu is known for his public speaking abilities. He has been detained twice under Malaysia"s Internal Security Acting.
Statement over the Bukit Kepong incident
On 30 August 2011, Karpal Singh, Bukit Gelugor Member of Parliament responded by saying that the 25 policemen were true patriot and that Mat Sabu"s statements were ill-advised.
Views
On 21 August 2011 during a speech in Gelugor, Penang, Mohamad Sabu made a statement saying that it was Muhammad Indera and the 200 Malayan Communist Party (CPM) soldiers during the 1950 Bukit Kepong Incident who deserved to be claimed as national heroes and not the police officers who fought to their deaths defending the Bukit Kepong police station, claiming that all police officers during the massacre as the "British officers" and the CPM soldiers are "true national heroes" as they "fought the British". However, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society) denied all the allegations and defended Mohamad Sabu"s statement and claims.
