PUTRAJAYA, Oct 11 — The creation of Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) as an alternative Opposition front was because of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.

The Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) chairman asserted that he was in favour of an umbrella bloc to fight the Barisan Nasional juggernaut led by Umno in the coming general election, but blamed Anwar, who is Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, for snubbing it.

“Ask him if he wants to work with me.

“The problem is he did not want to work with me,” Dr Mahathir told a news conference after chairing a GTA meeting at the Perdana Leadership Foundation here this morning.

“I am a very nice man,” he added.

GTA is a yet-to-be registered coalition of four parties: Pejuang, Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra), Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa) and Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional (Iman).

Dr Mahathir announced that the GTA will field at least 120 candidates nationwide for the 15th general election.

He reiterated that GTA is willing to work with anyone for the election, as long as they are opposed to Umno.

“The first condition is they are against Umno, everything else we could discuss,” he said.

Dr Mahathir was then asked whether this includes his old party, Bersatu, led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, which had triggered the collapse of the PH government in early 2020.

“We have to think which is the bigger traitor,” he replied.