Political analysts have offered differing views on the impact of Puad Zarkashi’s resignation from Umno, with one warning it could reinforce perceptions of internal discontent while another believes it is unlikely to trigger a wider split ahead of the Johor state election.
Resignation carries symbolic significance
Asrul Sani, associate vice-president of The Asia Group, said Puad was more than an ordinary party member, describing him as one of Umno’s long-serving political figures whose departure carries symbolic weight.
He said resignations involving senior leaders could transform personal or factional dissatisfaction into broader political dissent, citing the departures of Mahathir Mohamad and Shafie Apdal as examples of leaders whose exits eventually developed into organised political challenges.
While Puad’s resignation has not reached that level, Asrul said it could become more significant if it encourages others to leave the party or weakens Umno’s grassroots mobilisation.
He added that the departure highlights that Umno, despite having a strong political machinery, remains vulnerable to internal resentment, factional politics and disagreements over candidate selection.
According to Asrul, the situation also gives political rivals an opportunity to question the party’s unity and preparedness for the Johor election.
Public dispute may hurt party image
Puad resigned from Umno on Thursday, saying he could no longer remain silent over what he described as Johor Umno’s lack of autonomy in decision-making.
Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki later alleged that Puad had threatened to leave the party and criticise it publicly if his son was not selected as the Barisan Nasional candidate for the Rengit seat.
However, Zaidi Japar was eventually named the coalition’s candidate for Rengit.
Asrul said Asyraf’s explanation may help portray the resignation as a personal grievance, but it also made the dispute more public and personal. He said whether the issue develops into a deeper rift depends on whether Puad is able to attract supporters or whether Umno can quickly restore internal unity.
Exit unlikely to trigger wider split
Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara took a different view, saying Puad’s resignation was unlikely to divide the party because many Johor Umno members understood the state’s political dynamics.
He described Puad as acting alone and said the explanations provided by Asyraf and Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi had weakened the reasons behind the resignation.
As a result, Azmi said he did not expect Umno members to rally behind Puad on the issue.
