A Bersatu member of parliament aligned with former deputy president Hamzah Zainudin has claimed that the loose Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat (IPR) alliance is being used as a tool to divide and weaken Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Lumut MP Nordin Ahmad Ismail expressed his expectation that Bersatu will pressure PAS, the current chair of PN, to accept parties within the IPR that hold ideologies differing from those of the Islamic party.
He specifically mentioned Indian-based parties such as Urimai and the Malaysian Advancement Party, which are led by former DAP leader P Ramasamy and former unity minister P Waytha Moorthy.
Nordin described these parties as Trojan horses, asserting that they would continue to cause trouble within PN until the objective of weakening and dividing the coalition is achieved.
Absence of PAS in key meetings
Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin had previously suggested that IPR be incorporated directly into PN or that an electoral pact be established between the two entities for the next general election.
Launched in October last year, the IPR brings together leaders from various parties including Bersatu, PAS, Gerakan, the Malaysian Indian People’s Party, Pejuang, Putra, Berjasa, Muda, the Malaysian Advancement Party, the National Indian Muslim Alliance Party, and Urimai.
Despite its broad membership, PAS representatives were noticeably absent from two recent IPR meetings. One session was chaired by Muhyiddin in January, while the other was led by Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali earlier this month.
Information regarding these claims has been sought from Bersatu information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz.
Future moves for former opposition leader
In a separate matter, Nordin praised the decision of Hamzah Zainudin to resign as the opposition leader. He described the move as a gentlemanly act intended to relieve PAS of pressure from Bersatu regarding the leadership post.
However, the Lumut MP suggested that this resignation was merely an initial step for Hamzah, hinting at a significant announcement to come from the former Bersatu leader.
According to Nordin, the resignation served as an interim measure before a larger announcement is made in the near future.
