Not possible for GTA to work with BN, PH or PN after GE15 - Dr Mahathir

PAPAR: It's not possible for Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) to establish cooperation and form a government with Barisan Nasional (BN), Pakatan Harapan (PH) or Perikatan Nasional (PN) after the 15th General Election (GE15).

GTA protem chairman, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said this was because GTA only wished to cooperate with like-minded political party leaders, so it was impossible for it to work with leaders or parties mired in corruption.

The Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) chairman said with regard to Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), GTA would study further if the coalition that formed the state government was interested to collaborate after GE15.

"We have to choose the parties and leaders that we can cooperate with and it's impossible to cooperate with BN, PH and PN," he said after a 'ceramah' (talk) held by Sabah Pejuang, here, today.

Also present were his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali and Sabah Pejuang chief, Nicholas Sylvester.

GTA comprises four political parties, namely, Pejuang, Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra), Parti Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa) and Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional (IMAN), as well as a number of non-governmental organisations that formed the Gagasan Bangsa (GB).

In GE15, the GTA candidates will be contesting using the Pejuang logo except in Kelantan where they be using the Putra logo.

GRS comprises Bersatu, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and United Sabah National Organisation (USNO) which established cooperation with BN to administer the state government.

Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir said the leaders should not be limit their movement to the 'Land Below the Wind' if they wished to have a prime minister from the coalition, but to also garner support in Sarawak and the peninsula.

"The Malaysian Constitution does not restrict any individual from any constituency in the country to become prime minister but that individual required support to hold the post.

"A Sabahan also qualifies to be prime minister but the problem is getting the support, so we hope that they (Sabah political leaders) venture out to the peninsula and Sarawak to make themselves familiar," he added.

Asked on Parti Warisan Sabah president, Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal bringing his party to the peninsula, Dr Mahathir said Mohd Shafie had the right to become prime minister but based on the Constitution, he needed the support to be one.

-- BERNAMA