KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) has accepted Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s decision to step down as chairman of the party he founded after his recent election loss.
“Members of the central executive council and party members thank him for his service, guidance and leadership throughout his tenure as chairman,” party president Muhkriz Mahathir said in a statement on Saturday (Dec 17).
“Pejuang will strive to ensure that Tun’s (Dr Mahathir) way of thinking and leadership style, which are based on principles and pure cultural values are emulated by the next generation.”
The 97-year-old former prime minister remains a member of Pejuang.
“We believe Tun will continue to give constructive views and critique on the future of Malaysia as an outstanding statesman,” said Mukhriz, who is Mahathir’s son.
Mahathir failed to defend his Langkawi seat in Kedah – his first electoral defeat in 53 years – at Malaysia’s 15th General Election in November.
He lost his deposit after finishing fourth in a five-cornered fight, which was won by Perikatan Nasional’s Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah.
The Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) coalition he led also failed to win a single seat.
Pejuang, which is part of the coalition, was established in August 2020 after the then-Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration collapsed due to infighting.
In 2018, Mahathir, Muhyiddin Yassin and Anwar Ibrahim worked together to win the General Election under the PH umbrella. But the PH government lasted less than two years.
After his 2022 election defeat, Mahathir tweeted that he would focus on writing about the history and happenings in Malaysia, saying that many events in the country were unrecorded.
Mahathir held the world record for the oldest prime minister.
He is also Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister, having held the post for 22 years until 2003, before returning as prime minister in 2018.
