After registering new party Pejuang, Dr Mahathir insists won’t use money to lure defectors

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 ― Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad  today reiterated that his newly-formed Parti Pejuang Tanah Air’s mission is to eradicate money politics and restore the dignity of the country.

In a blog post, after Pejuang applied to register itself with the Registrar of Society (RoS), Dr Mahathir vowed not to use money as an incentive for others to join the party.

“We will not use money as bait. [We] just want to have the opportunity to find halal income,” he wrote.

He related that his old Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia was formed to overthrow a kleptocratic government but has now gone to the other side, alleging that money has been used to lure its leaders to defect.

“If you don’t jump over you’re stripped of membership, stripped of position,” he said.

Dr Mahathir today maintained that Pejuang was formed after Bersatu had been hijacked by leaders who have strayed off course from fighting against kleptocracy.

“We don’t have a party now, [our membership] was deprived from the party we formed by the hijackers. As independents, we don’t have the same symbols.

“So we have to form [a new] party, for what? To fight to eradicate money politics, restoring the development of a successful, dignified country, to fight for the happiness of the people,” he said.

Earlier today, Pejuang president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, along with former Parti Pribumi Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Marzuki Yahya, Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik, and former deputy works minister Datuk Shahruddin Md Salleh submitted its application to the Registrar of Societies (RoS) in Putrajaya.

Mukhriz added that so far, the only position in the new party which has been confirmed will be that of chairman, to be Dr Mahathir, and the new party will commence its internal election for other positions including 21 member central committee after its application is approved.