PUTRAJAYA, July 14 — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad confirmed today that he will be a founding member of a new political party.

The former Umno president said the new party will be part of the Save Malaysia movement as a “component party”.

“I think there is a need for a new party to be formed to represent people who are not yet in the group, who have the same objective of this group,” he told reporters at the Perdana Leadership Foundation office here, after a three-hour meeting with members of the Save Malaysia movement.

“The group just now said they are willing to accept.”

He added that he will be part of the leadership of the new party, but not necessarily the president.

“I will be the first among equals, I guess, among the leadership,” he said.

He said the party’s launch has not been decided yet, but he will be working towards launching it as soon as possible.

On the need for a new party, he said some people who supported the movement against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak did not necessarily find the existing parties “attractive”.

“So we provide a vessel for them to join, so that indirectly they are an entity in this grouping,” he said.

Whether or not the party will be only open to Malays, similarly to his former party Umno, he said that was yet to be decided.

He also denied that he will be running in the next general elections.

When asked if Pakatan Harapan would be part of the “coalition”, he said that those who are part of the group are only there as individuals.

However, he said, all have agreed to coordinating straight fights against ruling coalition BN in the coming general elections.

Among those who attended the meeting were PKR vice-president Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin, DAP leader Lim Kit Siang, Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub, former Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, Amanah communications director Khalid Samad, and Bersih 2.0’s Maria Chin Abdullah.

By: BY AIZYL AZLEE [Y!News]