Pejuang has applied to join Perikatan, says Mukhriz

PETALING JAYA: Pejuang has requested to join Perikatan Nasional, says the party’s President Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir.

“I have sent Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin a letter yesterday requesting for Pejuang to be accepted as a component party of Perikatan Nasional,” he said in a statement on Thursday (March 2).

“The letter has been copied to the PAS President (Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang) and Gerakan President (Datuk Dr Dominic Lau),” he added.

“It is hoped that Perikatan will consider Pejuang’s request and give a positive response,” he said.

He said the decision was made by the party’s executive council two days ago after exploring all options available for political cooperation.

“This is in line with the mandate we received from the second Pejuang General Assembly,” he said.

He said the decision was made based on a few considerations.

He noted that it is insufficient to just form an electoral pact to avoid seat clashes and contesting under different party logos.

“It is more beneficial for all if Pejuang joins Perikatan and contests under Perikatan’s logo. This will definitely signify that the cooperation between Pejuang and Perikatan is not only limited to the state elections which will take place in June 2023 but also for the long term,” he said.

Speculations was previously rife that Pejuang may consider joining its former allies Pakatan Harapan.

The party came into the limelight recently after its founder Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and 12 others quit the party.

The 97 year-old has since chosen Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) as his new platform to fight for Malay rights but would not ignore the interests of other races.

The veteran statesman have also previously said that Pejuang’s rejection of Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) was akin to a rejection of him after the party decided to exit the coalition it contested under in the last 15th General Election (GE15). GTA suffered a dismal defeat in the national elections after failing to obtain a single seat. All candidates including Dr Mahathir and his son Mukhriz, lost their deposits.

Pejuanita Muda chief Dr Nurul Ashikin Mabahwi told The Star on Feb 12, Pejuang’s decision to exit GTA was in line with the decision made at its AGM.

We are respecting the outcome of our AGM," she told The Star.

"We reflected on the GE15 results, there is a necessity for us to strengthen our party from within, we are not in the capacity to complement them (GTA) nor do them to us," she added.