ALTHOUGH Pejuang is a Malay party, it will not sideline other races if it wins the Johor elections tomorrow and forms a new state government, said its chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

A Pejuang-led state government will be like the “old Unmo”, where all races can thrive, and not just the Malays, the nonagenarian said at Pejuang’s final ceramah tonight before Johor goes to the polls tomorrow.

He said the “old Umno” was the party prior to Najib Razak’s era, whom he called a thief.

“When the Malays ruled, there were a lot of opportunities for the Chinese and Indians.

“So, the Pejuang government plans to be like that. We want to stick to the old Umno ways. Not the Umno of Najib. Najib is a thief.”

He said Najib, who is appealing his conviction and sentencing in one trial related to 1Malaysia Development Bhd, desperately wants Umno-Barisan Nasional to win so that he can be freed from all the charges against him.

“With the ways of old Umno, we can develop the country and ensure Malaysia once again becomes an Asian tiger,” Dr Mahathir said. 

His ceramah was broadcast on Facebook Live.

Pejuang is contesting 42 seats in the Johor elections as an opposition party but not part of Pakatan Harapan. There are 56 seats up for grabs.

Dr Mahathir said Johor voters must choose a new, clean and corruption-free party to be the next state government.

“We want to see a change and want to see a new state government that is more efficient than the one that caused it to dissolve,” he said in reference to Umno-Barisan Nasional. 

The BN administration, which is Johor’s second government after the 2018 general election when Pakatan Harapan won the state, dissolved the legislative assembly in January as it only had a one-seat majority and said it needed greater political stability. – March 11, 2022.