Zuraidah Kamaruddin said PKR's collaboration with US-based International Republic Institute was in capacity-building. — Picture by Miera Zulyana

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 — PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin has denied that the previous Opposition has colluded with a foreign think-tank for over a decade to “overthrow” previous ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN).

The housing and local government minister said instead that its collaboration with US-based International Republican Institute (IRI) was in capacity-building.

“They helped to conduct leadership training by coming to Malaysia and the like. So if this is what the co-operation refers to then it is not true,” she told the media at Parliament here.

This comes after a video showing an IRI representative, which has strong ties to senior Republican leaders and ex-intelligence officers in the US, saying it had been working with the then-Opposition as far back as 2002.

This was revealed by the institute’s president Daniel Twinning during a forum organised last month by fellow US think-tank, the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

Malay Mail reported in April last year that both Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional had received training from the IRI.

PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar told Malay Mail that the IRI, as well as the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) under the National Endowment for Democracy runs trainings for political parties across the political spectrum in Malaysia.

The IRI its trainer led consultations and workshops with both BN and PH parties on “international democratic best practices in messaging and communications”.