We’re no Trojan horses, say Muda, Urimai on IPR-PN claims

 Muda's Leben Siddharth says IPR is a cross-ideological reform platform, while Urimai's P Ramasamy insists that IPR parties are not seeking entry into PN.

Leben Siddharth said Muda will work with any party that benefits the people, while P Ramasamy said Urimai will stay in IPR and back its reform goals.

PETALING JAYA:

 Muda and Urimai have brushed off claims that the loose Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat (IPR) alliance is being used to divide and weaken Perikatan Nasional (PN).

Muda vice-president Leben Siddharth said parties in IPR were not Trojan horses, as IPR served as a platform for cross-ideological cooperation on public issues.

“If anything, that strengthens democratic participation, not weakens it,” he told FMT.

“It exists independently, with a specific purpose: to push for reforms and solutions on issues impacting Malaysians.

“This is not political manoeuvring. Muda will work with anyone – government or opposition – as long as it benefits the rakyat.”

Leben added that IPR was never intended to be absorbed into an existing coalition.

“It allows engagement beyond fixed alliances, enabling collaboration with groups, civil society, and parties that may not sit in PN but that share common goals on specific issues,” he said.

Lumut MP Nordin Ahmad Ismail previously claimed that the loose, opposition-aligned IPR framework could be used to split and weaken PN.

Nordin, aligned with former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin, said he expected internal pressure in Bersatu to push PAS, which currently chairs PN, to accept IPR-linked parties whose ideologies differ from those of the Islamist party.

He cited parties such as Urimai and the Malaysian Advancement Party (MAP), led by P Ramasamy and P Waytha Moorthy, describing them as Trojan horses that would “continue to cause trouble in PN until the goal of weakening and dividing PN is achieved”.

Ramasamy said IPR parties like Urimai and MAP were not “dying” to join PN, pointing to ideological differences.

“As long as PAS continues its uncompromising stand on the rights of the non-Malays, it will be difficult for some IPR component parties to compromise with PAS,” he said in a statement.

However, he said Urimai intended to stay in IPR to support the political objectives of the leadership provided by Muhyiddin.

IPR, launched in October last year, brought together 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 previously suggested that IPR be incorporated into PN or that both entities form an electoral pact for the next general election.

However, PAS representatives were absent from two recent IPR meetings, one chaired by Muhyiddin in January and another by Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali earlier this month. - FMT