{
  "id": 20142578,
  "title": "Dr M says Pejuang’s formation vindicated by political developments",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/15/dr-m-says-pejuangs-formation-vindicated-by-political-developments",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-15T08:17:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/11/15/dr-m-says-pejuang-s-formation-vindicated-by-political-developments"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad believes the creation of his political party, Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang), was justified by recent political developments. Despite the party's limited success over its six-year existence, Mahathir, now 101 years old, claims that many of the individuals who ousted him from his previous party have faced similar consequences by being sacked and forced to form new parties.\n\nSpeaking at Pejuang's fourth annual general assembly, Mahathir emphasized that political realignments are common, but it is concerning when the goals of a political struggle also shift. He urged political parties to learn from history and maintain their core principles and policies while guiding leaders in making compromises.\n\nThe former prime minister, who established Pejuang in August 2020 after a leadership split with Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, apologized for not being able to deliver the speech himself due to a weak voice. This was his first appearance at a party event since his wife Dr Hasmah Ali passed away on September 28.\n\nBersatu, which Pejuang is part of, has been facing significant setbacks, suffering heavy defeats in the Melaka polls and electoral wipeouts in Johor and Negeri Sembilan. These events highlight the party's waning influence among the Malay electorate, illustrating the ever-changing landscape of Malaysian politics.",
  "summary": "Pejuang was founded in August 2020 by Dr Mahathir Mohamad and a group of associates after they were sacked or ousted from Bersatu.",
  "key_points": [
    "Dr Mahathir believes Pejuang's formation was justified by political developments.",
    "Many ousted officials from his previous party faced sackings and formed new parties.",
    "Bersatu has suffered heavy defeats in recent elections, indicating waning influence."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Mahathir views the recent instability and leadership splits within Bersatu as confirmation that his decision to establish Pejuang was a necessary response to the shifting landscape of Malaysian politics.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}