Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan has defended former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin against allegations that he attempted to divide the party.
He dismissed claims made by former political secretary to Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, Marzuki Mohamad, who alleged that Hamzah had used PAS, Umno and the royal institution to create divisions within Bersatu.
Wan Saiful described the accusations as baseless and said they were aimed at concealing weaknesses among certain factions in the party.
“Hamzah has moved on from Bersatu. He no longer speaks about the party.
“He is now focused on the Reset agenda,” he said.
Dispute over meeting with PAS leaders
Marzuki had earlier claimed that a former Bersatu MP aligned with Hamzah uploaded a photograph on Facebook showing a meeting involving PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, Hamzah, and several Bersatu and PAS MPs at Hamzah’s office in Bukit Tunku, known as the “White House”.
Wan Saiful, who previously served as Bersatu information chief, said he attended the meeting held on Feb 18 last year together with several senior Bersatu and PAS leaders.
Among those present were Bersatu vice-president Radzi Jidin, former Bersatu Supreme Council member Saifuddin Abdullah, and former Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal.
“If Radzi has any dignity, he should confirm what took place at the meeting. Do not let Marzuki speak out of ignorance,” he said in a Facebook post today.
Wan Saiful rejects claims against PAS
Wan Saiful said PAS was an experienced political party that had governed several states and also served at the federal level.
He said accusations that Hamzah or others were manipulating PAS reflected what he described as a “serious denial syndrome”.
“If PAS wants to reassess its relationship with Bersatu, it is because of the wrong advice given by those around Muhyiddin,” he said.
Yesterday, Marzuki alleged that Hamzah had used PAS and Umno as political leverage to divide Bersatu and wrest control of the party from Muhyiddin.
Claims over Muhyiddin and Hamzah’s influence
Wan Saiful also claimed Muhyiddin’s relationship with the palace was not close, including over issues linked to a press conference involving the rejection of a unity government proposal.
He further alleged that Hamzah played an important role in securing support from PAS and Umno MPs, which eventually led to Muhyiddin becoming the country’s eighth prime minister in 2020.
According to Wan Saiful, Hamzah also used his own funds to help support Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional operations when serving as party secretary-general.
He also disputed claims that Hamzah became deputy president solely because of Muhyiddin’s endorsement.
Wan Saiful said Muhyiddin had wanted to protect Ahmad Faizal Azumu from a leadership contest that could have weakened his standing within the party.
“Hamzah did not need Muhyiddin’s endorsement because even then, he already had his own strength.
“The proof is that after he was sacked, 18 MPs, many assemblymen and more than 120 division chiefs chose to stand with him,” he claimed.
