PEJUANG president Mukhriz Mahathir faces dim prospects within Perikatan Nasional (PN) if he seeks a top position, according to Akademi Nusantara political analyst Azmi Hassan. Azmi pointed out that PN is unlikely to offer Mukhriz any leadership post, leaving little reason for him to dissolve Pejuang in favour of joining the coalition.
This statement comes in response to reports that two UMNO leaders have firmly rejected the idea of Mukhriz rejoining UMNO, which expelled him in 2016 after he criticised the party and its then-president Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Mukhriz later joined Bersatu, co-founded by his father, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin but eventually established Pejuang.
Azmi suggested that Mukhriz needs to move beyond the perception that Dr Mahathir is hindering Pejuang’s growth.
“Pejuang must look towards expanding its leadership if it wants to continue. The perception that Mukhriz must become prime minister through Pejuang needs to be erased to save the party.
If this cannot be achieved, it would be better to dissolve Pejuang,
argued Azmi, saying that Pejuang’s grassroots support is too weak, making it difficult for the party to form alliances with larger coalitions.
Mukhriz recently reaffirmed that he would not return to UMNO even if party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi steps down.
In response, UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Puad Zarkashi said Mukhriz was “too embarrassed” to return and that his return would offer no benefit to the party. Another Supreme Council member Razlan Rafii criticised individuals driven by personal interests, implying that Mukhriz’s return would be self-serving.
Pejuang’s struggles were further highlighted by its rejection by PN in March 2023. The party had sought to join the coalition in hopes of running candidates in six state elections held in August, but it was denied after suffering significant losses in the 15th general election (GE15) in 2022.
Both Mukhriz and Mahathir lost their seats, with Pejuang candidates losing their deposits.
Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya (UM) advised Pejuang to reform its political strategy by collaborating with smaller parties with similar goals.
The party’s lack of significant support from the majority of voters and distrust from major coalitions including Barisan Nasional (BN) and PN, indicates that Pejuang is struggling to find its place on Malaysia’s political stage.
– Sept 13, 2024
