Update: Mahathir confirms he is forming a new political party
Malaysia may have another political party joining the ranks of United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), The National Front (BN), Democratic Action Party (DAP), and the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), among many others.
The new political party is expected to be led by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, who had held the position for two terms from 1981 to 2003 and from 2018 to 2020. It also looks like the 95-year-old will not be retiring from his political career of nearly six decades any time soon.
Sources told local news outlets today that the nonagenarian will announce the formation of another “Bersatu” political party at 4pm.
The new political party is said to be named The Malaysian United People’s Party, or Parti Bersatu Rakyat Malaysia, which sounds awfully similar to the party he was ousted from, The Malaysian United Indigenous Party, or Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.
Four other politicians including his son Mukhriz were also kicked out when all of them chose to stand with the opposition during that shortest ever parliament session in May.
Mahathir, who formed the original Bersatu party in 2016 and led the Pakatan Harapan coalition into victory in the 2018 general elections, stepped down as the party’s chairman and also resigned as prime minister in February.
He remained a party member until he was ousted from office in May.
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