Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal has branded last year’s Bersatu party election as “dirty”, pointing to vote cancellations and other manoeuvres that he claims stripped members of their rightful voice.
In the latest episode of the Zaid Ibrahim Podcast, the suspended Supreme Council member accused the vote-handling process of involving “silap mata” – a sleight of hand.
“I have to be frank: the election was dirty. A lot of manipulation happened, and I told the president this is not right,” he said.
Wan Fayhsal singled out the contest for Bersatu Youth chief, where initial running tallies pointed to a different winner. But “after three days, cancellations happened in divisions that backed (Youth chief Hilman Idham’s) opponent”, he alleged.
He claimed the election committee then voided several results, reversing the outcome in favour of Hilman Idham, whom he described as aligned with party secretary-general Azmin Ali, leaving rival candidate Akmal Zahin at a disadvantage.
In October last year, the Bersatu election committee rejected claims of external interference in Hilman Idham’s victory for the Youth chief post.
Election committee chairman Abdul Azim Zabidi was quoted at the time as saying the unanimous decision followed a thorough review of all objections raised during the youth wing’s election.
Wan Fayhsal revealed that his camp had pushed for stricter safeguards, such as photographing Form K12 tallies and recording meetings with photos and videos. While senior leaders initially agreed, some top figures later resisted, insisting such evidence was unnecessary.
Beyond the election irregularities, Wan Fayhsal alleged that PAS was not consulted on key Perikatan Nasional (PN) appointments following the Bersatu polls, including the decision to name Muhyiddin Yassin as the coalition’s prime ministerial candidate for the 16th general election (GE16).
This snub prompted PAS to voice its preference for a candidate “under 70” with a clean record, he said.
“I want the public to know the majority of division chiefs did not agree to naming Muhyiddin as (the candidate for) prime minister,” Wan Fayhsal stressed.
He warned that such unilateral moves risked straining ties with PAS at a time when “Bersatu is at its weakest”.
“Bersatu is fairly dependent on PAS’s efforts. We need to respect and understand PAS’s sensitivities,” he added.
