SEPANG: Opting to stay out of the coming state elections, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will instead back those aligned with his Malay Proclamation campaign.
“I will not be contesting in the state elections. However, I will be very active in supporting the movement of Malays who want to have a share of this country.
“My objective is not to become prime minister,” he told a press conference after returning from his 13-day trip to Europe and Turkiye yesterday.
The former prime minister, along with 12 others, quit Pejuang on Feb 10 after the party cut ties with the Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) coalition.
Dr Mahathir and the 12 subsequently joined Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) on March 1, a Malay-based party headed by Datuk Ibrahim Ali.
Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir is keen on meeting up with Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to discuss matters regarding the Malay Proclamation.
“I would like to meet him to explain the purpose of the Malay Proclamation.
“The proclamation is not in support of any particular body but to support Malays as a whole,” he said.
He was responding to a news report quoting Muhyiddin as saying that he hoped to meet Dr Mahathir before Hari Raya Haji to discuss the Malay Proclamation.
Muhyiddin, who is also a former prime minister, had said that Bersatu shared similar goals with the Malay Proclamation in uniting the Malays in the country.
Dr Mahathir penned the 12-point Malay Proclamation and has been instrumental in its promotion.
Several top leaders had signed it, namely PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu and Bersatu information chief Datuk Razali Idris in their personal capacities.
On June 2, Dr Mahathir was reported to have been questioned by Bukit Aman for activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy over the Malay Proclamation campaign. He clarified that the Malay Proclamation was not against other races.
On a separate matter, Dr Mahathir questioned Malaysian United Democratic Alliance’s (Muda) decision to go it alone as a “third force” in the state elections.
“If you go solo and stand in the election in a few seats, what can you do with a few seats?” he said.
“Parties that contest in the polls will field sufficient candidates who can win and form the government.”
On Monday, Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said Muda’s campaign would be mostly held online, with some ground campaigning.
Muda had applied to join Pakatan in September last year but did not receive any response.
