KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 — Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) today confirmed that former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has officially resigned as chairman of the party.

Its president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir said the party has accepted Dr Mahathir's decision to step down from the post.

"All members of the Central Executive Council and members of the party throughout the country praised his service, thinking, guidance and leadership during his tenure as Chairman.

"We express our infinite appreciation to Ayahanda Tun. Only Allah SWT can repay his services to us," he said in a statement today.

Mukhriz added that despite no longer holding the position of chairman, Dr Mahathir will remain as a member of Pejuang.

Pejuang recorded the worst performance in the last 15th general election (GE15) when a total of 67 candidates he bet on lost their deposit, including Dr Mahathir and Mukhriz.

Pejuang becomes a symbol for Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) candidates who fielded 158 candidates in the elections, of whom 116 vied for parliamentary seats.

Mahathir and his son, Mukhriz, were among 369 general election candidates who lost their deposits, after polling less than one-eighth of the votes cast in Langkawi and Jerlun respectively.

Dr Mahathir only obtained 4,566 votes in a five-cornered fight in Langkawi, with Perikatan Nasional winning the seat.

He served as the president of Umno and chairman of Barisan Nasional from 1981 to 2003 during which time he was also prime minister. He left Umno in 2016 and co-founded Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), which was part of the Pakatan Harapan coalition with PKR, DAP, Amanah and Upko.

He left Bersatu in 2020 after Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin led the party into forming a coalition government with PAS and Barisan Nasional. Mahathir co-founded Pejuang later that year.