KOTA KINABALU: Parti Pejuang, which is set to launch in Sabah on May 22, is keeping an open mind on Pakatan Harapan's "big tent" concept, says Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir.

       "We remain open to working with anyone (but) we need to hear more about the big tent concept.

       "We are a small party with four MPs, so we need to hear them out," the Pejuang president told reporters here after meeting with Sabah Pejuang leaders and members.

       The big tent concept was for all the opposition parties to work together in the coming general election.

       Mukhriz said that under the previous Pakatan Harapan government all parties were included in the Federal Cabinet no matter how small or big they were.

       "We want to know if the big tent (concept) will include all parties fairly in the Cabinet like previously where all parties were accommodated in the (Pakatan) Cabinet whether small or big," he said.

       Pejuang, Muda, and Parti Warisan had so far remained aloof with the opposition Pakatan group.

       Mukhriz said that the party had talked with certain leaders in Pakatan but it still wanted to get a better picture of the plan.

       On his party's move to Sabah after the party failed to gain any foothold in the recent Johor state election, he said that they were learning lessons from Johor election and were now overhauling and relooking their approaches.

       On the party's Sabah launch, he said that Pejuang was preparing to contest for seats in the coming general election and was ready to contest a state election if Sabah decides to call an election with the dissolution of Parliament.

       "We are assessing our strength in Sabah, in fact we are ready for the Sabah election (if it is also called).

       "We are getting strong support in Sabah, in fact our members in Sabah are the third-largest after Kedah and Selangor," he said without revealing the number of members, only saying that the party will do so when the time comes.

       Sabah Pejuang was headed by Nicholas Sylvester, a local native Muslim NGO chairman.

       They had already set up 16 Pejuang division committees in Sabah's 25 Parliamentary seats, he said, adding that the party was open to Muslim and non-Muslim bumiputera in Sabah.

       However, he said that they have not decided on seats they were planning to contest in the state.

       "Like in peninsular Malaysia, we are also ready to discuss and negotiate for seats in Sabah," he said, adding that relations with Parti Warisan were good.