Pejuang nominates Dr M for third stint as PM until GE15

 

Bersatu-splinter party Pejuang has nominated Dr Mahathir Mohamad for a third stint a prime minister.

This is to "save the country" pending the next elections, said Mahathir's political secretary Abu Bakar Yahya.

"The pro-tem committee members of Pejuang have unanimously decided that Mahahtir is our candidate for prime minister to replace the current premier pending the next general election if the country wants to be saved," Abu Bakar said in a Facebook post.

The move comes amid political uncertainty with PKR president Anwar Ibrahim claiming to have sufficient support to form a government and Umno holding Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to hostage with yet to be revealed demands.

Pejuang's five MPs - including Mahathir - has also filed fresh no-confidence motions against Muhyiddin.

Pejuang is currently independent - but there has been unverified speculation that Mahathir may be teaming up with former rival, Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

Mahathir, who returned for a second stint as head of government in 2018, resigned in February after Muhyiddin took Bersatu out of Pakatan Harapan in what is now known as the Sheraton Move.

This followed Mahathir's attempts to persuade PKR and Anwar to back him for a temporary term as prime minister until after the Apec Summit in November to be hosted by Malaysia.

Post-Sheraton Move, his bid to be sworn-in again as the head of a unity government also failed. 

Mahathir then backed Warisan president Shafie Apdal as prime minister should Harpan wrest back power, but this, too, appears to have lost steam with Warisan's defeat in the recent Sabah elections. - Mkini