KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 — Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said that his party would support Pakatan Harapan chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should the latter become prime minister.
In an interview with Bernama TV tonight, the twice former prime minister said that his party was not bound to any other and that he would work with the Port Dickson MP, with whom he shares a strained political relationship.
“Pejuang is a third force. We are not bound to any parties. So if Anwar becomes prime minister, we will support,” Dr Mahathir said.
While insisting it was Anwar who rejected him during PH’s administration, he said he was prepared to work with his former deputy at any time.
He said this when asked whether his Pejuang party would support either Anwar or Umno vice president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, the two main contenders.
Earlier, Pejuang confirmed that it has put one name on the statutory declaration (SD) that decides Malaysia’s next prime minister.
Pejuang information chief Ulya Husamuddin also reaffirmed the party’s refusal to work with kleptocrats.
Pejuang currently holds four parliamentary seats and its lawmakers were part of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration during its 22 months in power before Perikatan Nasional (PN) took over in March last year.
The Opposition has currently presented two names for consideration as prime minister: Anwar and Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
Earlier today, it was reported that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong issued a reminder to the next prime minister to submit to a confidence vote in the Dewan Rakyat once confirmed.
In a statement on behalf of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Indera Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said the confidence vote has to be undertaken as it is the proper constitutional thing to do to gain legitimacy.
