About 120 division chiefs signed statutory declarations urging Muhyiddin, a 78-year-old former prime minister, to give way to party deputy Hamzah Zainudin, 68, news outlet Utusan Malaysia reported.
But at the AGM, Muhyiddin was still confirmed as Bersatu’s prime ministerial candidate if the opposition Perikatan Nasional coalition wins Putrajaya at the next general election.
RIFTS SHOW NO CLEAR SUCCESSION MECHANISM IN BERSATU: EXPERT
The latest turmoil could trigger further cracks within Bersatu, which is already facing leadership and other issues after losing power at the federal level in 2022, socio-political analyst Awang Azman Awang Pawi of Universiti Malaya told CNA.
The recent wave of incidents show Bersatu “does not have a clear mechanism on succession planning”, said Syaza Shukri, an associate professor at the International Islamic University Malaysia.
“From just factionalism, this has turned into an all-out war for leadership within Bersatu,” she told CNA.
“Is there a plan for Hamzah to take over? If it is Azmin, it is (also) not clear and it doesn’t seem that he is in line to take over.”
The internal rifts could strain political cooperation within the Perikatan Nasional opposition bloc that Bersatu is a component of, along with the Islamist party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), observers said.
It could allow PAS to position itself as the more competent party within the opposition bloc, Syaza said. PAS currently has 43 elected members while Bersatu has 25 in Malaysia’s 222-member House of Representatives.
“PAS will use this as an opportunity to demand a prime minister candidate … so it’s more about leadership within PN,” she added.
Malaysia’s next general election is due by 2028, and Syaza previously told CNA that if Muhyiddin could not rally his own party, questions would be raised on whether he could lead a multi-party coalition.
But the scandal highlighted by Wan Saiful is an old one, analysts noted.
Azmin’s position would not be “immediately threatened”, Universiti Malaya’s Awang Azman said, noting Azmin’s political credentials and grassroots support.
“Azmin has long been regarded as an important figure due to his influence among (Bersatu’s former) PKR members, his expertise in political strategy and connections with elite economic networks. But open criticism from a party figure like Wan Saiful can raise questions about internal cohesion and the actual level of support for Azmin,” Awang said.
The 10 Bersatu Selangor assemblymen who hit back at Wan Saiful on Tuesday accused him of trying to shift attention from his own legal troubles, news site Free Malaysia Today reported. Wan Saiful is accused of accepting and soliciting bribes of almost RM7 million in relation to a government aid programme.
Johor Bersatu chairman Sahruddin Jamal also said the matter must be promptly handled by the party’s disciplinary board to preserve confidence in the party’s credibility, Free Malaysia Today reported.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-bersatu-azmin-ali-wan-saiful-unfit-politics-muhyiddin-yassin-5377581
