Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad says recent political developments have vindicated his decision to establish Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang), despite the party’s limited achievements during its six years of existence.
Speaking at Pejuang’s fourth annual general assembly at the IDCC Convention Centre, Mahathir said several politicians who had been involved in his removal from their former party had themselves since been sacked and forced to establish new parties.
Mahathir, 101, said those who had previously pushed for their former party to leave the government over disagreements with certain coalition partners now appeared to be moving closer to those same parties.
‘The circle appears to be almost complete,’ he said in a speech read out by Pejuang information chief Rafique Rashid Ali.
Mahathir, who attended the assembly, apologised for being unable to deliver the speech himself because of his weak voice.
It was his first appearance at a party event since the death of his wife, Hasmah Ali, on Sept 28.
He said he was not revisiting past events to disparage anyone but wanted political parties to learn from the country’s history.
No permanent friends in politics
Mahathir said one important lesson was that there were no permanent friends in politics, with the only enduring factor being the cause a political party championed.
He said political realignments were not unusual, but the real concern arose when the objectives of a political struggle also changed.
He added that a party’s principles and policies should clearly define its objectives for supporters and guide its leaders when making political compromises.
However, Mahathir cautioned that the end did not justify the means, particularly when actions went against Islamic law and Malay customs.
Although he did not identify the former party he was referring to, Pejuang was established in August 2020 by Mahathir and a group of associates after they were expelled from Bersatu following a leadership dispute with party president Muhyiddin Yassin.
Bersatu suffers electoral setbacks
Bersatu remains a component of Perikatan Nasional (PN), but has been sidelined following its falling-out with PAS, which leads the coalition.
The party reached an electoral understanding with Pakatan Harapan for the Melaka state election, with the coalition making way for Bersatu in four constituencies, while both sides contested against each other in three others.
However, Bersatu suffered defeats in all seven seats it contested in yesterday’s election, with five of its candidates losing their deposits.
The party also suffered a complete defeat in the Johor state election in July and Negeri Sembilan in August, reflecting its declining influence among Malay voters.
