Mas Ermieyati Samsudin’s resignation as chief of the Masjid Tanah Bersatu division on Thursday is a clear signal that she no longer fears disciplinary action from the party, according to an analyst.
The Masjid Tanah MP had come under scrutiny after attending a gathering last Saturday in support of former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin following his dismissal.
Defiance in the face of possible sacking
Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk, an academic from Universiti Sains Malaysia, said Mas Ermieyati, who is also Wanita Bersatu chief, wants to show she has completely lost confidence in Muhyiddin Yassin.
“She wants to signal that she has completely lost confidence in Muhyiddin and to see whether Bersatu will dare to take the same action against her as it did with other leaders,” he said.
“Her decision shows that she doesn’t care whether she is dismissed or not.”
Azeem compared her stance to that of other leaders who backed Hamzah, including former Supreme Council member Saifuddin Abdullah.
Full committee steps down
After Mas Ermieyati announced her resignation, all committee members of the Masjid Tanah division — including leaders of all wings and branch chiefs — also resigned.
They cited a loss of confidence in Muhyiddin Yassin as their reason.
Azeem noted that while the development highlights deepening divisions within Bersatu, it does not necessarily destroy Muhyiddin’s support base completely.
“This situation actually opens the door for the president’s camp to restructure the party with leaders who genuinely support the current leadership,” he added.
Pressure for leadership change
Tawfik Yaakub from Universiti Malaya said Mas Ermieyati’s move is intended to increase pressure on Muhyiddin to step down amid the prolonged internal crisis.
“The options now are either for Muhyiddin to resign or to call an emergency general meeting,” he said.
“That’s the only way to ensure Bersatu remains active in the national political arena.”
Tawfik did not rule out the possibility that Mas Ermieyati could join Hamzah’s allies to form a new political platform ahead of the 16th general election.
Earlier today, reports indicated that Hamzah and 16 MPs backing him are expected to join a new political party — described as their “new home” — next week.
