Dr M: Pejuang now backed by 18 MPs, mostly in Sabah and Sarawak

(MMO) – Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) aspires to win 36 parliamentary seats in the next general election, its founder Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.

The former prime minister said that if his party can do that, it will be able to determine Malaysia’s next government, claiming that neither the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN) nor the Opposition Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition can take Putrajaya on their own.

“We do not think any of the two coalitions can win. If we can get just 36 seats, we have a position to join any coalition, but to join, they must comply with our conditions, then we will join,” he said at a press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation here.

Dr Mahathir claimed to have a list of 18 MPs already on its side, mostly in Sabah and Sarawak.

He said while the lawmakers may not be party members, they are friendly and share Pejuang’s principles.

“So we will work with them and hope on the peninsula as well, there will be people who help us.

“The target of winning 36 seats is enough, then we can decide who will be the government,” he added.

Dr Mahathir stepped down as PM in February and lost control of Bersatu, the party he co-founded in 2016 after leaving Umno, when it became clear the PH administration had collapsed following the crossover of several MPs.

He subsequently found Pejuang and insisted the party will remain Malay-centric to ensure that Malay economic problems, which he said has been around since the country’s independence, will be addressed fairly.