PEJUANG’S decision to leave Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) is a sign that it has rejected him, Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.

“Pejuang rejecting GTA is like rejecting me. This is because I am in GTA, but Pejuang does not want to be with us,” the Pejuang founder told reporters at the Perdana Leadership Foundation today.

“So I have to choose whether to be with Pejuang, which I am still a member of, or GTA. I choose to be with GTA.”

The former Langkawi lawmaker said Pejuang opted out of the Malay group due to a shift in its direction.

Yesterday, Dr Mahathir announced his exit from the party along with 12 other members.

In a notice to Pejuang secretary-general Amiruddin Hamzah, they said they were leaving following the party’s decision to cut ties with GTA.

“Pejuang’s decision to cut ties with GTA directly disqualifies us from remaining as members as we intend to continue the struggle on the GTA platform,” read the notice.

“For us, GTA’s goal is to unite Malay parties, civil society groups and people who are principled and adhere to the struggle to defend religion, nation and country.

“On this basis, we choose to continue through GTA.”

The notice was uploaded on Facebook by former Pejuang deputy president Marzuki Yahya, a co-signatory.

Pejuang was established by Dr Mahathir in August 2020 following his ousting from Bersatu.

He stepped down as chairman in December last year after the party’s miserable performance in the November general election, in which every Pejuang candidate lost his or her deposit. – February 11, 2023.