Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi claimed that the new Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat (IPR) alliance led by Muhyiddin, and the Sekretariat Orang Melayu under Mahathir, showed that the two were not truly united despite their agreement to cooperate.

“If PN already exists, why form IPR and the Sekretariat Orang Melayu? Why not just be under one roof?” Puad said in a Facebook post.

Sekretariat Orang Melayu was established in June to unite all parties advocating for Malay interests under one “big umbrella”.

Mahathir, its founder, was reported as saying the initiative aimed to restore Malay political power and address the community’s challenges, with recent discussions involving Muhyiddin and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

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.

Puad said the move reflected the fragility of unity among the opposition, as too many “leaders” were competing for dominance.

He noted that although PN, IPR, and the Sekretariat Orang Melayu shared the same core leaders, they still failed to demonstrate real unity.

“That’s what it means to be ‘united yet divided’. Too many heads, too many people wanting to be the leader,” he said.

He said the situation was complicated further by the presence of two non-Malay figures – P Ramasamy and P Waytha Moorthy – who head Urimai, and the Malaysian Advancement Party, respectively.

According to Puad, their involvement led Muhyiddin to form IPR to attract multiracial support, while Mahathir focused on winning over the Malays through Sekretariat Orang Melayu.

“The formation of all these branches is just an attempt to deceive the people,” he said.