PEJUANG has applied to join the Muhyiddin Yassin-led coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN), said the party’s president Mukhriz Mahathir. 

In a statement, he said its central executive council had decided to join PN to ensure Malay votes are not split in the coming state elections. 

The former Kedah menteri besar and Jitra assemblyman said the party was of the view that an electoral pact was not the right step as it would only be to avoid multi-cornered fights. 

“It would be beneficial to all if Pejuang joined PN as a coalition member and contested under its banner. 

“Moreover, Pejuang will not just work with PN for the coming state elections but also in the long term,” he said in a statement today.

Mukhriz said he had sent a letter to Muhyiddin yesterday requesting that the party be made a component and had copied it to two other component parties in PN – PAS and Gerakan. 

Although Pejuang was wiped out in the recent general election (GE15), the party still has representatives in the Kedah and Selangor legislative assemblies. 

Apart from Mukhriz, the party has Amiruddin Hamzah, who represents Anak Bukit in the Kedah assembly. 

In Selangor, the party counts Mohd Shaid Rosli, the Jeram assemblyman, and Sallehudin Amiruddin (Kuang) among its ranks. 

Batang Kali representative and state chief Harumaini Omar, however, was expelled for failing to attend sittings for six months without valid reasons. 

Pejuang, a Bersatu splinter, was established by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in August 2020 following the ex-Langkawi lawmaker’s ouster from Bersatu. 

Dr Mahathir, however, stepped down as chairman in December last year after the party’s miserable performance in GE15, in which all its candidates lost their deposits. 

Following this, Mukhriz announced Pejuang’s withdrawal from the Gerakan Tanah Air coalition, which it had forged ahead of GE15 to focus on strengthening the party. 

Mukhriz said the decision was made after considering the views of delegates at its second general assembly. – March 2, 2023.