12 Opposition Parties Form Loose Coalition to Address People’s Concerns
KUALA LUMPUR:A total of 12 opposition parties have come together to form a loose coalition aimed at addressing issues they claim the Madani government has failed to resolve.
Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the coalition had reached an agreement, though the official name would only be revealed at a later meeting, Sinar Harian reported.
The coalition currently includes Bersatu, Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan), Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang), Ikatan Demokratik Malaysia (Muda), Parti Rakyat India Malaysia (MIPP), Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra), Parti Progresif Penduduk Malaysia (PPP), Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa), Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), Parti Kemajuan Malaysia (MAP), and Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional (Iman).
In addition, an unregistered organization, Bersepakat Hak Rakyat Malaysia (Urimai), is also participating in the coalition’s discussions.
Speaking after the Joint Meeting of Opposition Leaders in Kuala Lumpur, Muhyiddin explained that the coalition had agreed to broaden its discussions with community groups, including traders, entrepreneurs, and industry representatives. The goal, he said, was to better understand their problems and propose comprehensive solutions to the government.
“There is unanimous agreement among party leaders. These issues demand immediate attention, especially with the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13) now being tabled, which we feel does not sufficiently address the people’s core concerns,” he said.
Muhyiddin, who is also Chairman of Perikatan Nasional (PN), stressed that the formation of the coalition was a preliminary step towards deeper cooperation in the future.
He identified the rising cost of living as the coalition’s primary concern, calling it the heaviest burden faced by Malaysians since the unity government assumed office.
“Even with low inflation rates, prices continue to rise due to subsidy restructuring, particularly in fuel, which has pushed up logistics costs,” he said.
He added that the expansion of the sales and service tax (SST) on nearly 6,000 goods since July 1 had further strained households, while higher operating costs were squeezing small and medium-sized businesses.
“This problem is long-standing and is worsened by the government’s failure to fulfill promises such as abolishing tolls and easing PTPTN loan repayments. All of these have increased the people’s burden,” Muhyiddin said.
On the question of whether the new coalition would contest elections jointly, Muhyiddin said no specific arrangements had been decided yet.
“But what we have is a shared platform where we can deliberate on economic, social, and educational matters together. Decisions will be made collectively, not by any single party, but by all of us,” he emphasized.