Internal revolt rocks Malaysia’s Bersatu, threatening PN’s unity before Sabah vote

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian opposition party Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) is facing one of its worst internal crises as senior leaders mount a public rebellion to oust party president Muhyiddin Yassin.

Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah, one of the party’s top leaders, said on Nov 2 that he has been summoned to the party’s disciplinary board. He had led 15 other MPs to write a letter appealing against a series of party sanctions on members pushing for deputy president Hamzah Zainudin to take over the top post.

Mr Hamzah’s faction has argued that the party needs a fresh face and that Muhyiddin has lost touch with the grassroots.

Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), Bersatu’s ally in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, has also said that they need a leader under 70 years old and who possesses integrity.

Muhyiddin, who is 78, is facing trial for alleged abuse of power and money laundering. The authorities are also hunting down his son-in-law, Muhammad Adlan Berhan, who fled amid a corruption probe and is believed to be in the Middle East.

Party tensions boiled over at Bersatu’s annual general assembly on Sept 6, where supporters of Mr Hamzah heckled Muhyiddin during his speech, calling on him to step down.

The mood turned rancorous after an Oct 14 disciplinary board expelled Bersatu MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan, and suspended the membership of MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal. The duo were accused of gathering signatures for a statutory declaration to challenge Muhyiddin’s presidency.

Three division leaders were also sacked at that time, while three more were called up by the board on Oct 30.

Analysts said this widening internal crisis threatens to weaken PN’s standing ahead of the Sabah state election on Nov 29 – and threatens the party’s very survival.

“The party has become chaotic,” political analyst Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia told The Straits Times.

“This weakens Bersatu and, by extension, PN. The public might feel the party is not ready to govern, especially compared with the stability and confidence projected by Anwar’s government, which now commands the support of more than two-thirds of Parliament,” he added, referring to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The 16 Bersatu MPs urged Muhyiddin in an Oct 23 letter to rescind the punishments to party leaders, calling the moves “unwise” and “ill-timed”.

“Bersatu’s latest internal developments have raised serious concern among us, the party’s Members of Parliament, that it may now be perceived by the public as a weakened party,” they said in the letter seen by local media, later confirmed by Mr Saifuddin.

On Oct 27, Mr Saifuddin was removed as Pahang PN chairman, while Perlis Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli was removed as Perlis PN chairman. Mr Saifuddin faces the disciplinary board on Nov 5.

Dr Mazlan said the series of events points to Muhyiddin losing control of his party, which was formed in 2016 to be an alternative to Malay nationalist party Umno, which is currently part of the ruling coalition.

Political analyst Tunku Mohar Mokhtar of the International Islamic University Malaysia has described the situation as an internal “crisis” that has spilled into public bickering, with members taking sides between Muhyiddin and Mr Hamzah.

“If it is not managed strategically, it will fall to pieces,” he told ST.

He warned that Bersatu may end up perishing, like another Umno splinter party, Semangat 46. Other splinter parties include Parti Keadilan Rakyat, PAS and Parti Pejuang Tanahair, all of which are still active.

The party’s internal feud may hurt Bersatu’s prospects in the Sabah state election, with nomination day less than two weeks away.

“With Pakatan Harapan, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Umno enjoying the advantages of incumbency, a disunited Bersatu won’t stand a chance of winning the majority of seats in Sabah’s election,” Dr Tunku Mohar said.

Dr Mohd Yusri Ibrahim, a policy studies lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, said: “Bersatu’s internal crisis strengthens the case for PAS to lead PN, as Bersatu is now seen as no longer competent at steering the coalition.

“If Bersatu remains divided, PN’s appeal, especially in Pahang, could suffer,” he said. Mr Saifuddin was replaced by PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man as PN’s Pahang chairman.

Muhyiddin’s looming trial and Bersatu’s bitter infighting threaten to derail the party’s bid to unseat the Anwar government in the next election, which must be held by February 2028.

Datuk Seri Anwar has received some praise from netizens after Malaysia hosted top world leaders during the Asean Summit, which concluded on Oct 28.

“With Bersatu’s infighting, it is hard for PN to compete with the stability that Anwar’s government represents,” Dr Mazlan said.