KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 — Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) will not be fielding any candidates in the state elections next month.

Announcing this today, its president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir said instead, the party will use this opportunity to prepare for the 16th general election (GE16).

"On grounds that the Malay votes must not split, and at the same time, since January, we have not gotten a response from Perikatan Nasional (PN) on our intention to join the coalition, Pejuang has decided to stay away from the polls.

"This decision does not mean Pejuang is not relevant or is afraid to face the elections. It could be a blessing in disguise where a step back does not mean we are retreating for good. Instead, we will move forward after this,” he told a media conference here today.

Following this decision, Mukhriz said Pejuang has come up with a list of criteria for party members who will be voting on August 12.

"We will not support candidates involved in kleptocracy, who lack integrity, or those who do not pay attention to Malay-related issues.

"I am not going to the extent of mentioning which coalition which we should vote for... but those who fulfil all these criteria are the ones who we will support,” he said. — Bernama