KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today lobbied for a government that is led by his Parti Pejuang Tanah Air, even as it chose to sit out the Melaka state election.

He said Pejuang will champion Malay rights with an objective of making Malaysia a developed country by 2030 or earlier.

"Pejuang is a Malay political party. While it will strive to bring up the Malays to approximately the same economic level as the non-Malays, particularly the Chinese, it will adhere to all the liberal policies and privileges that Malaysia accords the non-Malays.

"In addition to that, a Pejuang dominated government will uphold democratic principles and the rule of laws. It will reject and outlaw all kinds of abuses of power and corruption by the government and the administration,” he wrote in his official blog.

Last month, Dr Mahathir announced the party’s decision not to back any political coalition in the upcoming Melaka snap poll.

He had asserted that the statewide poll was just another ploy for politicians to lobby for important positions in the state government instead of improving its administration.

Pejuang’s deputy president Datuk Marzuki Yahya also said that the party wants to concentrate on its preparations for GE15.

In August, the former prime minister said Pejuang will contest 120 Parliamentary seats in the 15th general elections.

Aside from Dr Mahathir, who is Pejuang’s chairman as Langkawi MP, the party currently has three other MPs: president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir (Jerlun), Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah (Kubang Pasu) and Datuk Shahruddin Md Salleh (Sri Gading).