INTERVIEW | About 20 years ago, Marzuki Yahya, then a corporate figure in the shipping industry, took the first step in his political journey by joining Umno and later climbing up the ranks of its Youth wing to become one of its central exco members in 2004.

He then left the country's largest political party to become a founding member of its splinter party, Bersatu.

Marzuki started making headlines after being appointed as Bersatu secretary-general in 2018, especially after he was involved in an internal power struggle in the party and eventually getting dismissed for aligning with then party chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Now part of Mahathir's new party Parti Pejuang Tanah Air as its pro-tem deputy president, he spoke to Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview about his political journey and his take on current issues surrounding the country's politics, including the future of Pejuang.

Malaysiakini: You were made a senator and deputy minister when Pakatan Harapan became the government. But following the political tussle in Bersatu, you chose to fight against the party president and eventually got sacked. Why did you choose this path and do you have any regrets?

Marzuki: What is more important for me is upholding my principles. There is no use having a position but going against what we are fighting for. And what is the use of holding a position in the government when it is not a legitimate government? It does not matter if we become a minister or a deputy minister if the government is not one the rakyat had voted for.

What happened (during the Sheraton Move) was definitely a ...