THERE is a certain irony in watching a party named Bersatu grapple with what appears to be one of its most disuniting chapters yet.
Bersatu, which once positioned itself as a cohesive Malay nationalist force within Perikatan Nasional, now finds itself mired in internal turmoil, with its MPs allegedly being witch-hunted and shown the door for not backing their president, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
What began as murmurs of dissatisfaction has snowballed into a full-blown crisis.
Several MPs have openly called for Muhyiddin to step aside and pass the baton to his deputy, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin.
Instead of a negotiated transition, however, the situation appears to have escalated into expulsions and suspensions. Hamzah himself was sacked from the party and this signals not strength, but desperation.
The consequences extend far beyond Bersatu’s own ranks. The upheaval has sent shockwaves through Perikatan Nasional, raising questions about its cohesion as a viable opposition coalition.
What may have initially been perceived as a turf war between Bersatu and PAS — a rivalry some allege contributed to Muhyiddin’s earlier decision to step down as PN’s Chairman is now trickling down internally. When leadership disputes evolve into purges, unity becomes collateral damage.
A functioning democracy demands not just a competent government, but a credible opposition. Malaysia’s political health depends on robust debate, scrutiny and alternative policy proposals.
Yet today, it seems the government of the day does not need to lift a finger to weaken its opponents. The opposition is imploding under the weight of its own infighting.
This raises a fundamental question: if the opposition cannot keep its own party and coalition in order, how can it credibly claim it is ready to keep the country in order?
Leadership is not merely about rhetoric at ceramahs or fiery press conferences. It is about the ability to manage differences, build consensus and maintain discipline without resorting to what critics describe as political house-cleaning exercises.
For Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the unfolding drama offers a strategic advantage. All he arguably needs to do is keep his word, deliver on promised reforms and avoid being drawn into opposition mind games.
With UMNo, DAP key blocs from Sabah and Sarawak firmly in his corner, the numbers, at least on paper — favour stability.
Should these parties present a united front in the next general election, the contest could resemble a David versus Goliath scenario.
With roughly a year to go before Malaysians head back to the polls, Anwar appears to be in the driving seat for another term.
Voters, meanwhile, are weary. They are tired of internal party bickering masquerading as ideological struggle. They are frustrated by power plays that appear disconnected from bread-and-butter issues.
The opposition’s constitutional role is to serve as a check and balance. Instead, government backbenchers seem to be playing that part more visibly, a peculiar reversal in any parliamentary democracy.
Electorally, the opposition is unlikely to be wiped out. It will almost certainly retain strongholds such as Kelantan and Terengganu. Kedah too may remain within its grasp ( that too is because of PAS' stronghold). But Perlis, after its recent debacle, could slip away.
As for Selangor, I once believed it might tilt towards the opposition. Recent disarray within Bersatu and its allies, however, has made me reconsider.
The coming months will be decisive. Will the remaining Bersatu MPs continue to stand by Muhyiddin, despite signs that he may have lost his ability to unite the party? Or will mounting pressure force him to finally throw in the towel?
For now, the greatest gift the opposition can offer the government is disunity. And unless it rediscovers the meaning of its own name, Bersatu’s internal battle may well determine not only its fate, but the broader trajectory of Malaysia’s political landscape. - February 18, 2026
T. Vignesh is the Executive Editor of Scoop.my
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