KUALA LUMPUR: Former Federal Territories Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) chief Datuk Khairuddin Abu Hassan has hit out at "hypocrites" and "traitors" in the party for tarnishing the image of its former chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He said some within the party's ranks were out to go against Dr Mahathir, but they were in fact covering up their own shortcomings.
He said some Pejuang leaders and members were also blaming him, deputy president Datuk Marzuki Yahya and an aide to Dr Mahathir, Abu Bakar Yahya, for influencing Dr Mahathir in making wrong decisions for the party.
"These political hyprocrites are twisting the story and accusing those who had been strongly supporting Dr Mahathir's cause, and they are akin to attempting to destroy a relationship between a father and his children," he said in a statement.
Khairuddin questioned critics who think that a seasoned politician like Dr Mahathir could be easily influenced. He said truth behind his resignation as Pejuang chairman will soon come to light.
Dr Mahathir resigned as chairman of Pejuang, the party he founded in 2020, last Friday. He had previously quit from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.
On Monday, Khairuddin resigned as the party's Federal Territories (FT) chief and central executive council member with immediate effect.
He, however denied that the decision to relinquish both posts was because of the influence of other individuals.
He had said that from the very beginning, his struggle in politics was to support Dr Mahathir, who always upheld and maintained his principles.