PERIKATAN Nasional (PN) rejected Pejuang’s proposal to join the alliance because the coalition did not want to complicate seat allocations for the upcoming six state elections.
“Elections are close. We discussed how accepting them (Pejuang) would complicate the ongoing negotiations for seats,” PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has told news portal Free Malaysia Today (FMT).
The Kubang Kerian MP also stated that Pejuang’s status as a “minor party” played a role. He claimed that the Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir-led party would not be able support the PN in its efforts to “unite the ummah (Muslim solidarity)”.
According to him, they are not a major (Malay) party like UMNO and Bersatu. Although it has contested in elections, all its candidates lost in almost every contest, even to the extent of losing their deposits.
Moreover, the party’s key leaders including Mukhriz and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad lost their deposits in the 15th General Election (GE15).
Since then, Dr Mahathir and his supporters had deserted Pejuang. For the record, PN indicated earlier this week that it would not accept Pejuang’s proposal to join the coalition. Pejuang secretary-general Datuk Wira Amiruddin Hamzah has expressed disappointment that PN’s leadership did not share the party’s stance on splitting Malay votes.
Tuan Ibrahim pointed out that he would not rule out the idea that Pejuang was just eyeing a “PN membership” to strengthen its prospects of holding state seats in Kedah and Selangor.
Mukhriz is the assemblyman for Jitra in Kedah. Elsewhere, Pejuang also holds another state seat in Anak Bukit (Kedah) and two state seats in Selangor, namely Jeram and Kuang.
Furthermore, Tuan Ibrahim is of the opinion that Pejuang is aware that it does not stand a chance “if it enters the state election alone, hence the need to look for partners”.
“It was better for Pejuang to be dissolved and for its members to join PAS or Bersatu to continue their struggle for the Malays and Islam. That’s better than having many small parties,” he further added. — March 24, 2023
