Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat (IPR) and the Malay secretariat committee were not created to spark rivalry between former prime ministers Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Muhyiddin Yassin, a Perikatan Nasional leader said.
PN women’s chief Mas Ermieyati Samsudin dismissed remarks by Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi, who had mocked the “political marriage” between Mahathir and Muhyiddin.
The Masjid Tanah MP said both IPR and the secretariat shared the same goal: to fight for the welfare of the people and strengthen the opposition through political and social consensus.
“The purpose is to correct the country’s direction, not to compete over who leads the platform,” she told FMT.
“The unification of IPR and the Malay secretariat committee sends a clear message that PN is open to working with anyone for the sake of the people.”
The Malay secretariat committee was established in June to unite all parties advocating for Malay interests under one “big umbrella”.
A coalition of 11 opposition parties led by Muhyiddin also formed IPR, a loose coalition, in August to champion public issues the government allegedly failed to address, including unfulfilled reform promises.
Bersatu Supreme Council member Razali Idris said there was no conflict between the two groups as they played different roles.
“Dr Mahathir leads the Malay NGO, while Muhyiddin leads a political party representing multiple ethnicities. Both are moving towards the same goal,” he said.
He also criticised Puad for trying to cast a negative light on the opposition, while the ruling coalition itself appeared divided.
“The real ‘fake marriage’ full of theatrics is in the government today. Umno and DAP, for example, still diverge on key issues.
“Umno needs to clarify its position in the government, whether it truly leads Malay politics or is merely complementing the Pakatan Harapan-led coalition,” he said.
