SHAH ALAM: Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) hopes to be given the opportunity to contest under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) logo in future elections through seat-sharing negotiations that take into account the strengths of each component party.
Its president, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, said the matter was being discussed internally with PN component parties and Barisan Nasional (BN) to reach a mutual understanding on seat allocations.
He said Pejuang’s opportunities to contest in the recent Negri Sembilan and Melaka state elections had been limited due to the cooperation between PN and BN, which saw most seats allocated to parties with established electoral records.
“Pejuang initially hoped to contest at least one seat in Negri Sembilan, including the Gemas and Gemencheh state constituencies.
“However, Gemas was eventually contested by a Wawasan candidate, who had earlier taken over the seat from Bersatu, while Gemencheh was allocated to Umno following the cooperation with BN.
“So, that was the situation we had to navigate, and the same happened in Melaka.
“All these were decisions we made amicably during meetings. There were seat negotiations, but ultimately, the decisions reached were accepted by all parties,” he said.
He was speaking at a press conference after delivering his policy speech at Pejuang’s 2026 Annual General Assembly (PAT) at the Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) here today.
Mukhriz said the party’s sincerity as part of the coalition was also demonstrated through the commitment of its machinery in supporting PN candidates, regardless of which party they represented.
He expressed confidence that the same approach could be maintained in future seat-allocation negotiations, with the strengths of each party, including MIC, Gerakan, Pejuang and Wawasan, taken into consideration.
He said cooperation with BN also deserved attention, as an understanding between the parties could improve the coalition’s chances of defeating Pakatan Harapan (PH).
Citing the Melaka state election results, Mukhriz said combining the votes of the respective parties gave PN and BN an advantage over contesting separately.
“Without an understanding between BN and PN in the Melaka state election, I think PH would have won.
“This is clear proof that when we work together and combine our respective strengths, we can overcome our opponents,” he said.