The name Bersatu - meaning “United” - was once meant to symbolize harmony, strength, and cooperation. Yet today, it stands as a symbol of division and chaos: an irony of being united in name but broken in reality.
The party that rose under Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s leadership to champion Malay unity is now tearing itself apart in a civil war between two rival factions - allegedly one loyal to Muhyiddin and the other aligned with Dato' Seri Hamzah Zainudin, who has remained quiet while his perceived lieutenants do the talking.
The irony could not be more glaring. If Bersatu cannot unite its own members - all belonging to the same race and religion - how can it claim to unite Malaysians of diverse backgrounds under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) banner to form the government in the future?
The turmoil within the party has now spilled into public view. Terengganu Bersatu chief Datuk Razali Idris has urged the warring factions to call a “ceasefire” and focus instead on the upcoming Sabah state election. “If we keep fighting, the people of Sabah will hate us,” he warned. His words reflect the growing frustration among grassroots members who fear that internal squabbles are turning Bersatu from a political force into a self-destructive spectacle.
The latest rift began when Dungun Bersatu proposed that Muhyiddin take “garden leave” and that Dato' Seri Azmin Ali be removed as secretary-general. During the party’s general assembly, delegates openly heckled Muhyiddin, calling for his resignation - a scene unimaginable just a few years ago.
Now, heavyweights like Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah have joined the rebellion, accusing Muhyiddin of losing his leadership qualities and failing to manage the party effectively. “He no longer calls leadership meetings. How are we supposed to discuss anything?” Saifuddin lamented. He, along with other suspended MPs like Wan Fayhsal and Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan, argue that Muhyiddin has become a liability.
Their grievances extend beyond leadership style - they accuse Muhyiddin’s circle, including Azmin Ali and Information Chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz, of fostering division and silencing dissent. Saifuddin went so far as to call Tun Faisal a “chief provocateur,” revealing the party’s descent into internal hostility.
This power struggle has turned Bersatu into what one MP aptly described as a battle between “two lions on the same mountain.” The result is paralysis, public embarrassment, and a loss of credibility among voters who once saw PN as a clean, stable alternative.
The timing could not be worse. As the Sabah polls near, Bersatu’s leaders appear more obsessed with personal survival than public service. Their infighting not only undermines PN’s electoral prospects but also exposes the emptiness of their promise to unite Malaysia.
When a party that calls itself Bersatu, meaning “United,” can no longer hold itself together, it becomes more than a political crisis - it becomes a national irony. Before Bersatu talks about uniting the country in its aspiration for Putrajaya’s power, it must first learn to unite itself. Until then, its name will remain its biggest contradiction.
By: Kpost
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