Urimai is part of Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat, a loose coalition chaired by Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin.

Ramasamy said he did not think that Muhyiddin would have proclaimed “without any basis” that IPR members could stand in the coming Melaka election on the PN ticket.

He said that although IPR component parties are not PN members, they are closely tied to Bersatu.

“PAS should not think and act as though it alone can determine the trajectory of the opposition in the country,” Ramasamy said in a Facebook post in response to a statement by PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.

Tuan Ibrahim had said since IPR component parties are not part of PN, the coalition could not allow them to contest under its banner.

He also said no decision was ever made to allow parties in IPR to contest under the PN banner.

PN is currently chaired by PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.

Yesterday, Muhyiddin said that parties in IPR could negotiate with a “PN-level committee” on which seats in Melaka they are keen on contesting.

However, Tuan Ibrahim, who is also PN deputy chairman, denied that such a committee exists.

Ramasamy said PAS’s refusal to recognise IPR suggested that the party has an ulterior political motive in sidelining Bersatu.

“While I cannot collectively speak on behalf of IPR, I can certainly say that Urimai is not desperate to get into PN’s fold,” he said.