Dr Mahathir Says Win The Elections First Before Thinking About Pm Candidate

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's 97-year-old ex-prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says the current priority is to ensure his coalition, Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA), wins the 15th general election (GE15) before naming the coalition's prime ministerial candidate.  Dr Mahathir, who is GTA pro-tem chairman said the matter was not a party priority for now. "We don’t have a prime ministerial candidate. What’s the use of having one, if we lose, what are we going to do with the candidate? He won’t even be prime minister. Let’s wait till we win. "If we win, everyone who wins has the right to pick the next prime minister from the coalition,” he said during his campaign rounds with GTA candidate for Ampang parliamentary seat Dr Nurul Ashikin Mabahwi. Dr Mahathir, who is also Pejuang chairman, said GTA aims to win more than 112 seats in the 222 seat legislative assembly (Dewan Rakyat) to be able to form the government. GTA, a coalition of four political parties, Pejuang, Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra), Parti Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa) and Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional (IMAN) along with a coalition of non-governmental organisations that form Gagasan Bangsa (GB), is contesting 121 parliamentary seats.  GTA candidates will be contesting under the Pejuang logo in GE15, with the exception of state of Kelantan where its candidates will be contesting under the Putra banner. -- BERNAMA