Muda and Urimai have dismissed allegations that the loose Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat (IPR) alliance is being utilized as a tool to divide and weaken Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Muda vice-president Leben Siddarth clarified that the parties involved in IPR are not Trojan horses.
He emphasized that the alliance serves as a strategic platform for cross-ideological cooperation on pressing public issues.
According to him, such collaboration strengthens democratic participation rather than undermining it.
He noted that IPR exists independently with the specific goal of pushing for reforms and solutions that directly impact the lives of Malaysians.
Focus on public interest over political maneuvering
Siddarth stated that the formation of IPR is not a matter of political maneuvering.
He reiterated that Muda is prepared to work with any entity, whether from the government or the opposition, provided the collaboration benefits the people.
He further explained that IPR was never intended to be absorbed into any existing coalition.
Instead, it allows for engagement beyond fixed alliances, enabling cooperation with various groups, civil society, and parties that share common objectives on specific issues, even if they are not part of PN.
These comments follow claims by Lumut MP Nordin Ahmad Ismail, who suggested that the loose framework of the opposition-aligned IPR could be exploited to split and weaken the PN coalition.
Nordin, who is aligned with former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin, expressed concerns regarding internal pressure within Bersatu.
He suggested this pressure might push PAS, the current chair of PN, to accept IPR-linked parties despite their differing ideologies.
Ideological differences and future collaboration
Nordin specifically pointed to parties such as Urimai and the Malaysian Advancement Party (MAP), led by P Ramasamy and P Waytha Moorthy.
He described them as Trojan horses that would continue to cause internal friction until the goal of dividing PN is achieved.
Responding to these claims, Ramasamy stated that IPR parties like Urimai and MAP are not desperate to join PN, citing significant ideological gaps.
He noted that as long as PAS maintains its current stance on the rights of non-Malays, it remains difficult for certain IPR components to find common ground with the Islamist party.
Despite these hurdles, Ramasamy confirmed that Urimai intends to remain within the IPR framework to support the political objectives of the leadership provided by Muhyiddin Yassin.
The structure of the IPR alliance
Launched in October last year, IPR brought together a diverse range of leaders from Bersatu, PAS, Gerakan, the Malaysian Indian People’s Party, Pejuang, Putra, Berjasa, Muda, MAP, the National Indian Muslim Alliance Party, and Urimai.
Muhyiddin Yassin had previously proposed that IPR be formally incorporated into PN or that the two entities establish an electoral pact for the next general election to ensure a unified front.
However, signs of friction have emerged as PAS representatives were absent from two recent IPR meetings.
One session was chaired by Muhyiddin in January, while another was led by Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali earlier this month.
