Former Malaysian PM Mahathir joins little-known party Putra

Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has joined little-known Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra).

In a Facebook post on Friday, Parti Pejuang Tanah Air’s former central executive committee member Armin Banian Pahamin said 13 former Pejuang members also joined Putra.

“Our mission and goals need to be clear in order to succeed. The main struggle is for the unity of the Malay people, parties and organisations,” he said.

It is not known if Tun Dr Mahathir, 97, will hold any posts in Putra.

Last week, Dr Mahathir said he was considering joining Putra after receiving an invitation from the party president to join the four-year-old organisation as its adviser.

“I do not see a reason why I should not accept the invitation, but I also always give myself time to consider the offer. The offer to join Putra goes well with my (political) struggle. If I find this is suitable for me, I will apply to be a member and if they want me as an adviser, I can be that as well,” he told reporters last Saturday.

The former premier recently

announced his exit from Pejuang,

the party he founded in 2020, along with 12 other members, following its decision to cut ties with Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA), a coalition of Malay-Muslim parties and non-governmental organisations that Pejuang was previously a part of.

Dr Mahathir also founded GTA along with several other Malay-Muslim parties in August 2022, ahead of the 15th General Election that took place in November.

After the Pejuang-led GTA

returned empty-handed from the Nov 19 national polls,

with all their candidates – including Dr Mahathir – losing their deposits, he quit as Pejuang chairman. But he stayed on as GTA chairman amid reports that Pejuang was considering leaving GTA.

Pejuang, of which Dr Mahathir’s son Mukhriz Mahathir is president, announced on Jan 14 that it was formally leaving GTA after its members came to a consensus at the party’s annual general meeting.