Thirteen Bersatu Members of Parliament aligned with former deputy president Hamzah Zainudin have called for the party to either withdraw from or be removed from Perikatan Nasional following PAS’s decision to end its political cooperation with the Muhyiddin Yassin-led party.
The group also urged a restructuring of all state executive council positions currently held by Bersatu representatives.
MPs blame party leadership for fallout
In a joint statement, the MPs blamed party president Muhyiddin Yassin and secretary-general Azmin Ali for the deterioration of relations between Bersatu and PAS.
They said PAS’s decision to sever ties with Bersatu was not unexpected, alleging that the conduct of Muhyiddin, Azmin and the party leadership had contributed to the breakdown.
The group further claimed that internal criticism directed at Muhyiddin had been ignored and alleged that the party’s disciplinary board had been used to suppress dissenting voices.
According to the statement, constructive views raised within the party were disregarded, while disciplinary measures were allegedly employed to prevent members from continuing to voice their concerns.
Signatories question Bersatu’s role in PN
Among those who signed the statement are Ronald Kiandee, Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz, Rosol Wahid and Khlir Mohd Nor.
The MPs also argued that Bersatu no longer holds significant value within Perikatan Nasional, citing what they described as the party’s declining parliamentary strength.
They warned that retaining Bersatu in the coalition, together with what they characterised as Muhyiddin’s leadership style, would weaken PN.
PAS decision leaves coalition facing uncertainty
The statement followed PAS’s announcement that it was ending its political cooperation with Bersatu and would explore forming a new political pact ahead of future elections with the aim of uniting the ummah.
In response, Muhyiddin said Bersatu was saddened by PAS’s decision but would remain in Perikatan Nasional as one of its founding component parties and continue championing the coalition’s agenda.
The development has created uncertainty over the future direction of PN, with PAS and Bersatu remaining in the opposition coalition alongside Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party.
