Bersatu At War Muhyiddin Has Lost Control Say Analysts

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Syaza Shukri and Azmi Hassan say the public row between party leaders Azmin Ali and Wan Saiful Wan Jan has lent credence to PAS's push to lead PN.
(From left) Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin does not appear to be in control following the public spat between party secretary-general Azmin Ali and Supreme Council member Wan Saiful Wan Jan, an analyst said.PETALING JAYA: Political analysts say that Bersatu’s factions are now openly at war, with conflict no longer confined to behind the scenes following the public attack by Supreme Council member Wan Saiful Wan Jan on party secretary-general Azmin Ali
Syaza Shukri.Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia said the party had been on a downward spiral “for a while now”, while Akademi Nusantara’s Azmi Hassan said the infighting would only get worse as Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin did not appear to be in control.
Syaza said Bersatu had been struggling with factionalism for some time while Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional appeared focused on governing the country.
Even PAS seemed focused on the four states it leads, she said.
“Where’s Muhyiddin in all of this? Who’s going to stand up as a voice of reason and respect to stop all these shenanigans?
“This is no longer just factionalism but open calls for ‘war’ between important leaders in Bersatu. The only way forward I foresee is if someone – either Wan Saiful or Azmin – backs down from the public spat,” she told FMT.
Azmi Hassan.Azmi said it was Muhyiddin’s claim of a campaign within Bersatu to oust him as party president that had gotten the ball rolling, and that this had snowballed out of his control.
He said the “project” to push for Muhyiddin’s resignation was gaining momentum, and that the “bad blood” would “spill over” if left unaddressed.
“It should have been handled by Muhyddin, but he has lost control of Bersatu. He should know by now that he has lost control,” Azmi said, adding that the warring factions should come together and talk things over or risk causing greater damage to Bersatu’s image.
Yesterday, Wan Saiful claimed that Azmin and Bersatu information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz had threatened division leaders supposedly linked to a plot to oust Muhyiddin as party president.
He said the collection of signatures from division chiefs was not to push for Muhyiddin’s ouster, but to oppose the discussion of Bersatu’s prime minister candidate at its annual general meeting (AGM) on Sept 9.
The Bersatu Supreme Council member and former information chief also said that Azmin was unfit to be a party leader as long as the controversy surrounding a 2019 video, purportedly of the former minister engaging in homosexual acts, remained unresolved.
Emboldening PAS push for PN chairmanship
Syaza said the open conflict only lent credence to PAS’s demands to take over the Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairmanship from Muhyiddin and have the coalition name a PAS leader as its prime minister candidate for the next general election.
At its AGM, Bersatu delegates had unanimously named Muhyiddin as the party’s prime minister candidate, according to Azmin.
“I think all of this only gives PAS more reason to demand that it leads PN, and have someone from the party as PN’s prime minister candidate,” she said.
“Bersatu seems unable to resolve its own matters, so how can it plan to lead PN and, hypothetically, the country?”
Azmi agreed, recalling PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s implicit rejection of Muhyiddin as PN’s prime minister candidate by saying the Islamic party wanted someone under the age of 70.
“I think Muhyiddin’s days are numbered,” he said.
Syaza said it was time for Muhyiddin to lay out a succession plan in Bersatu as it was clear that his position was not secure, with discontent rife and dividing the party.
A clearly defined succession plan, coupled with a timeframe, would offer some assurance about Bersatu’s long-term future and direction while putting to rest the back-and-forth on statutory declarations and prime minister candidates, she said.
“Basically, Muhyiddin needs to take over the narrative, because right now, he seems to be a side character in his own party.” - FMT

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