In a statement, Mukhriz said the party’s central executive council had decided to apply to join the Muhyiddin Yassin-led coalition.

He said the council decided that it was not sufficient for Pejuang to only form an electoral pact with other parties or coalitions to avoid seat clashes.

“It would be more beneficial for all parties involved if Pejuang joins PN and contests under the PN logo.

“This also means that Pejuang’s partnership with PN would be for the long-term rather than only for the state elections which are expected to be held in the middle of the year,” he said.

Mukhriz, a former Kedah menteri besar and Jerlun MP, said joining PN would prevent a split in Malay votes in the state elections.

“We hope the PN leadership will consider Pejuang’s application and give a positive response,” he said.

This comes just a day after former Pejuang chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad – Mukhriz’s father – joined Putra, a party led by long-time ally Ibrahim Ali, as a member and adviser.

Mahathir and 12 other party leaders had quit Pejuang, the party he founded in 2020, following its decision to withdraw from the Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) coalition.

Mukhriz had been holding meetings with component parties from both Pakatan Harapan (PH) and PN in the past month.

PAS election director Sanusi Nor said Mukhriz had recently met the party’s top leadership, including its president, Abdul Hadi Awang, his deputy and the three vice-presidents.

However, Sanusi said the details of the discussions were not disclosed.

Kedah PH chairman Mahfuz Omar had also confirmed meeting Mukhriz two months ago to discuss a “partnership” for the state elections in Kedah, though he said the final decision would be made by PH’s presidential council.

We are live on Telegram, subscribe here for breaking news and the latest announcements.