KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 — Parti Pejuang Tanah Air will not back any political coalitions in the upcoming Melaka snap poll, its chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.

In a press conference, he said that Pejuang will not take part in the Melaka state elections as it deems it as another political ploy for politicians to lobby for important positions in the government instead of improving the state’s administration.

"We will not help any sides, we are completely neutral. Pejuang members will not go to Melaka to perform any speech in the state election,” he told the press.

"Pejuang will not take any part in the state election because we think that this is just another political game. We deem that these politicians are not serious about politics.

"We join politics to serve, develop and provide a better living standard for the people, but they join politics because they want positions,” he said, referring to politicians.

Previously, Pejuang deputy president Datuk Marzuki Yahya told Utusan Malaysia that it is unlikely to participate in the Melaka state election precipitated by the recent fall of the state government.

He said that Pejuang would prefer to concentrate its efforts on the 15th General Election.

Earlier this month, former Melaka chief minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron held a press conference together with Pantai Kundor assemblyman Datuk Nor Azman Hassan, Telok Mas assemblyman Datuk Noor Effandi Ahmad and Pengkalan Batu assemblyman Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee in announcing they were withdrawing support for Sulaiman.

The withdrawal of support has caused the dissolution of the Melaka state assembly and resulted in an inevitable snap election.

The Election Commission (EC) has set November 20 as polling day for the Melaka state election.

Nomination day is November 8 and early polling will be held on November 16.