The suspension of Bersatu vice-president Ronald Kiandee and Wanita chief Mas Ermieyati Samsudin is likely a tactical manoeuvre designed to weaken the faction aligned with former deputy president Hamzah Zainudin while protecting the party’s parliamentary numbers.
Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia noted that Bersatu would risk losing the Beluran and Masjid Tanah seats under anti-party hopping laws if the duo were expelled.
By opting for suspension rather than sacking, the party ensures these members cannot easily join a new party led by Hamzah while retaining their seats. This approach punishes the individuals without providing the rival camp with additional legislative support.
However, Syaza cautioned that the move ultimately undermines the party’s overall strength as it targets senior leadership figures.
Leadership consolidation and internal friction
Party president Muhyiddin Yassin appears prepared to sacrifice the collective strength of Bersatu to safeguard his own leadership by retaining only loyalists. This development follows a challenge by Hamzah for the party to sack other leaders openly aligned with him, including a majority of the party’s remaining members of parliament.
The disciplinary board recently issued notices suspending Kiandee and Mas Ermieyati for two election cycles, citing violations of the party constitution and code of conduct. The suspension includes an immediate removal from all party positions and a ban on making public statements on behalf of the party. Muhyiddin suggested that Kiandee was spared from expulsion because his involvement in unauthorised negotiations was deemed less severe than that of Hamzah, who was removed earlier in February.
Potential for political backlash
The decision has been met with surprise by observers like Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, who described Kiandee as a moderate leader and a significant source of the party’s influence, particularly in Sabah.
Mazlan warned that the public might perceive the move as a targeted effort by Muhyiddin to suppress internal opponents.
Such pressure could backfire by generating sympathy for the suspended leaders, potentially providing a political advantage to Hamzah’s faction in the long run.
The analysts concluded that while the suspensions may serve a short-term tactical purpose, they highlight deepening cracks and internal divisions that do little to benefit the party’s future stability.
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