KUALA LUMPUR – Pejuang Youth chief Abu Hafiz Salleh Hudin has resigned from the post following the party’s dismal performance in the 15th general election.
In a statement, Hafiz said the decision was made after considering numerous factors, including the party’s failure to win a single seat in the polls.
He said he also hoped the new leader of the wing could shoulder the responsibility of the post with greater success.
“Millions of thanks and appreciation to (Pejuang chairman) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the top leadership of the party, and fellow members of Pejuang Youth Malaysia for their belief in me as the Pejuang Malaysia Youth chief,” Hafiz said in a statement.
“The experience gained all this while has turned into highly useful knowledge, God-willing.”
In the election on November 19, the informal Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) coalition, which used the Pejuang logo to contest, failed to gain any footing in Parliament despite contesting 125 seats.
Led by Dr Mahathir, GTA consists of Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional (Iman), Parti Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa), Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra), as well as non-governmental organisations, academics, and professionals.
Dr Mahathir’s son, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, who is also Pejuang president, failed to defend his seat in the Kedah parliamentary seat of Jerlun, which raised questions on the party’s relevance in the country’s political landscape.
Similarly, Dr Mahathir lost his contest deposit in Langkawi and conceded that the party had failed to enter Dewan Rakyat as the opposition.
The former prime minister said Pejuang was forced to shelve its plans for the country and that the party would support the coalition that formed the government. – The Vibes, December 11, 2022