Pejuang deputy president Marzuki Yahya said these potential candidates, most likely from civil society groups (NGOs), could bring “winds of change” into the country’s political scenario, Utusan reported.

“This is one way of getting political support from youths in order to take the country forward.

“We want to see candidates with fresh, new ideas,” he was quoted as saying.

Marzuki said that Pejuang needed young leaders with a “strong fighting spirit” to be the voice of the youth in the next government.

He added that Pejuang also wanted Malay youths who were willing to stand for all races and to fight against parties that had destroyed the nation, especially through corrupt practices.

In July, Marzuki was reported as saying that Pejuang would occupy Putrajaya after GE15. He said this despite the party losing all 42 seats it contested in the Johor state elections in March, besides losing the deposit in every seat too.

He was also reported to have said that the party intended to contest up to 120 parliamentary seats.

Analysts have predicted that Pejuang’s chances of victory in GE15 were slim and that it should instead form alliances in order not to relive its experience in Johor.

Last month, Pejuang chairman Dr Mahathir Mohammad announced the formation of Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA), comprising Pejuang, Berjasa, Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) and the National Indian Muslim Alliance Party (Iman).

Earlier this week, GTA handed in its application to be registered as a coalition with the Registrar of Societies (RoS).