It was founded by the modernist strand of Muslim society in Indonesia, including Amien Rais, the chairman of the Muhammadiyah organization, during the Indonesian Revolution.

[9] On 14 May 1998, around 50 political figures, including Goenawan Mohammad, Faisal Basri, and Amien Rais established an organization called the Peoples Mandate Council (Indonesian: Majelis Amanat Rakyat, MARA) open to anybody who wanted to listen and express opinions.

At the time, Amien Rais said that MARA would assess the performance of President Suharto's cabinet over the next six months.

At the time of the downfall of the Suharto regime in 1998, many new parties were being established and some of them wanted Amien Rais and other members of MARA to join them.

Reports said thugs had been deployed at the congress to support Mulfachri Harahap's candidacy for the party leadership.

For the presidential election, Amien Rais stood with Siswono Yudo Husodo as his running mate but only won 15% of the vote.

[citation needed] A few weeks after the legislative election, PAN announced party leader Hatta Rajasa as vice presidential candidate to run alongside Prabowo Subianto.

It also wants to realize good and clean governance that protects all the people and brings prosperity and to see a united, sovereign nation.