KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin may have sacked his immediate rival Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin from the party, but the move, according to a political analyst, smacks of weak leadership rather than a firm grip on power.
That is the assessment of Associate Professor Dr Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk, who said Bersatu would be “haunted” by the loss of Hamzah.
“Although it may seem that Muhyiddin has tightened his grip on power by sacking his rivals, in reality, it shows he has lost control of the party,” said Azeem, director of Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Centre for Policy Research.
Muhyiddin’s losing grip on Bersatu was first seen following Perikatan Nasional’s coalition rift in Perlis last December.
“It started with the coup in Perlis when state Bersatu representatives conspired to replace Mohd Shukri Ramli of Pas as the menteri besar,” said Azeem.
“To Pas, that suggested Muhyiddin could not control his lieutenants, which likely contributed to his resignation as PN chairman.”
Bersatu’s Abu Bakar Hamzah was sworn in as the new Perlis menteri besar on Dec 28, 2025. All Pas representatives in the state assembly later refused posts in the Perlis exco.
Azeem said Bersatu continues to be plagued by internal rifts, despite the recent purge of members.
“There are several factions within Bersatu, and it is tearing the party apart. Some members wanted Hamzah to replace Muhyiddin as president,” said Azeem.
“That forced Muhyiddin’s hand. However, Hamzah is an experienced politician who knows how to win the hearts of party members. His ouster will not please many of them.”
On Feb 13, Hamzah and three other Bersatu MPs, including Fathul Huzir Ayob, Azahari Hasan, and Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, together with 13 other Bersatu members, were sacked for gross insubordination and actions deemed detrimental to the party’s stability and unity.
At that time, Hamzah was Bersatu’s deputy president and the Perikatan Nasional opposition leader in Parliament.
Muhyiddin, meanwhile, resigned as Perikatan Nasional chairman on Jan 1, but was appointed deputy chairman on Feb 22. He was replaced by Pas vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who is also Terengganu menteri besar.
“Muhyiddin has two challenges ahead of him: unite the party and convince voters that Bersatu can be a viable alternative to the likes of Umno and Parti Keadilan Rakyat,” said Azeem.
“The one factor in Muhyiddin’s favour is that Bersatu is not the only political party facing issues. Although Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is Prime Minister, he governs at the behest of other parties because he does not command a clear majority. Within his PKR party, seven or eight MPs are reportedly unhappy with his leadership.
“DAP is also reconsidering its position in the Madani government,” said Azeem, referring to the party’s stand last December that it might reassess its role in the Madani government if Anwar does not deliver meaningful reforms within six months.
Amid this uncertainty, Azeem said Muhyiddin must act fast to convince Bersatu members he is still the man to lead the party to victory in the next general election.