The simmering tensions within Bersatu have erupted into open warfare, with leaders openly attacking one another, demanding disciplinary action, and dragging past scandals back into the spotlight. What began as an internal rift is now becoming a political circus, with outsiders seizing the opportunity to push Bersatu deeper into crisis.
At the centre of the storm is Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan, who has launched a blistering attack against party secretary-general Azmin Ali. Wan Saiful declared that Azmin is “unfit to lead” as long as the 2019 explicit video scandal allegedly implicating him remains unresolved.
“Right after the convention, I received new information … This changed my mind about Azmin and I voiced my opinion to some that as long as this video issue is not resolved, Azmin is not suitable to be a Bersatu leader.
“If it’s political persecution, yes, we must defend (our leaders) and fight. But if it’s a morally deviant issue, then they are not suitable for a party like Bersatu. Other parties may be able to accept it, but not Bersatu,” he said.
But his remarks have triggered backlash from within. Telok Ayer Tawar assemblyman Azmi Alang, who also leads Bersatu in Tasek Gelugor, blasted Wan Saiful for “irresponsible” behaviour that tarnishes the party’s image. He even called on the leadership to sack Wan Saiful to preserve Bersatu’s “discipline and dignity.”
Allegations of Threats
The feud has escalated further with Wan Saiful announcing plans to lodge disciplinary complaints against Azmin and Bersatu information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz. He accused both of threatening division chiefs over statutory declarations (SDs) that circulated ahead of Bersatu’s annual general meeting (AGM) earlier this month.
According to Wan Saiful, Sepang’s Suhaimi Ghazali and Puchong’s Shukor Mustafa were summoned by Azmin and told they would not be fielded as candidates if they failed to retract their signatures. Both refused, insisting the SDs had nothing to do with toppling president Muhyiddin Yassin.
“In fact, Azmin had also said that I would not be named as a candidate. He gave the impression that he had the power to decide,” Wan Saiful claimed.
The controversy came to a head at the AGM, when 122 out of 169 division chiefs staged a symbolic act of rebellion by breaking away for lunch just before Muhyiddin’s keynote speech. Although the AGM ended with Muhyiddin’s position secured, the episode exposed deep fractures in Bersatu’s ranks.
Old Scandals Resurface
The fallout has also given Bersatu’s rivals an opening to reignite old wounds. Batu PKR chief Asheeq Ali Sethi Alivi today urged police to reopen investigations into the 2019 scandal involving Azmin.
“As Wan Saiful himself now claims to have received new information, the authorities must take his statement seriously and probe further,” Asheeq said.
The scandal first broke when several viral clips allegedly showed Azmin with another man at a hotel in Sandakan. Haziq Aziz, then Santubong PKR Youth chief, later confessed on video that he and Azmin were the men in the recordings.
Azmin, then a PKR deputy president and economic affairs minister, strongly denied the claims, describing them as a political conspiracy to end his career. Forensic analysis by CyberSecurity Malaysia confirmed the recordings were authentic, but the low resolution made it impossible to identify those involved. The findings were later validated by US experts, leading then attorney-general Tommy Thomas to close the case without charges.
Yet, with Bersatu tearing itself apart, the scandal has been dragged back into the headlines—this time, from within its own leadership.
Muhyiddin vs Hamzah: The Real Contest
While the spotlight is currently on the personal feud between Wan Saiful and Azmin, seasoned observers note that the real battle lines run much deeper. Behind the curtain, Bersatu’s future will ultimately be decided in a showdown between president Muhyiddin Yassin and deputy presidentl Hamzah Zainuddin.
Muhyiddin remains the incumbent leader, commanding loyalty from much of the party machinery. But Hamzah, who has been steadily building his base, is widely seen as the main challenger waiting for the right moment to strike.
For now, Azmin and Wan Saiful are merely proxies in a wider war. The personal insults, disciplinary complaints, and revived scandals are all part of the shadowboxing before the heavyweights step in.
When Hamzah and Muhyiddin finally fly their banners and declare their camps openly, it will mark the climax of Bersatu’s internal struggle. Until then, the party risks bleeding credibility, unity, and political capital in battles that seem to benefit its enemies more than its own cause.
A Party on Edge
The spectacle of Bersatu leaders attacking one another while outsiders like PKR figures stoke the fire only deepens the sense of crisis. What began as a factional dispute is now a full-blown public battle, with Bersatu’s dirty laundry aired in full view of voters and rivals.
As the political temperature rises, one thing is clear: Bersatu is not just battling its enemies on the outside, but also giving them rope to hang the party with—by destroying itself from within.
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