00:01Former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad defended his decision to form Bersatu after leaving UMNO in 2016, denying that it
00:09caused disunity within the Malay community.
00:12In a Facebook post, Mahathir said he left UMNO because it had strayed from its original struggle and no longer
00:19prioritized the interests of the nation, race and religion.
00:22He said Bersatu was created as a platform for Malays dissatisfied with UMNO's direction, but added that many UMNO members
00:30remained while others who left did not join Bersatu.
00:33As a result, he said Bersatu failed to replace UMNO, winning only 13 seats in the 2018 general election, which
00:41Mahathir said contributed to Malays becoming divided.
00:44Mahathir added that divisions were inevitable due to the formation of multiple Malay-based parties, stating that joining these other
00:52parties caused a split.
00:54However, leaders from AMANAH, UMNO and Bersatu pointed out Mahathir's own role in the disunity, noting that he had established
01:02multiple political parties throughout his career.
01:05After quitting UMNO, Mahathir formed Bersatu in 2016 before being sacked and forming Pujuang in 2020.
01:11He left Pujuang in 2023.
01:14Natasha Bust, FMT.
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