KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has claimed Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia is now the country’s only “standalone” Opposition party, arguing that it must remain independent as the country’s sole credible check on the government amid shifting political alliances.

In a Facebook post today, the Bersatu president said the party had returned to the role it played when it was founded in the wake of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, but now faced an even tougher political landscape.

“Today, Bersatu stands as an Opposition party, just as it did at the beginning of its journey.

“In fact, the challenges are even greater now because Bersatu is the only standalone Opposition party in the Malaysian Parliament,” he wrote.

Muhyiddin argued that Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) were both part of the federal government, while Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) political cooperation with BN had, in his view, effectively turned the coalition into a supporter of the government.

The comments come as strains deepen within the Opposition following PAS’ decision to cooperate with BN in the Negeri Sembilan state election, exposing divisions over PN’s future direction.

Muhyiddin said Bersatu had no choice but to endure the political pressure because “there is now a major void in Malaysian politics”, claiming no other party was capable of providing effective checks and balances or representing Malaysians struggling with the rising cost of living.

He also accused BN and PH of sharing collective responsibility for policies he said had burdened the public, citing higher diesel and petrol prices, persistent cost-of-living pressures and what he described as the government’s failure to deliver institutional reforms.

Turning his criticism towards BN and Umno, Muhyiddin accused them of shifting blame while benefiting from being in government before appealing to Malay-Muslim unity for political gain.

“Believe me, this is nothing more than political theatre designed to deceive the Malays and the wider public in the pursuit of power.”

He said Bersatu would remain steadfast in its founding mission to defend the people’s interests and advance the country despite mounting political challenges.