Analysts: Internal strife destabilising the party more than external pressure
PETALING JAYA: Bersatu’s intensifying leadership rivalry is becoming more destabilising than pressure from its political opponents, with analysts warning that unresolved succession struggles are eroding the party from within and threatening its long-term viability.
Datuk Dr Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia said while Bersatu is not imploding outright, it is showing signs of chronic internal fragmentation driven by elite-level competition.
“Bersatu is entering a phase where leadership rivalry is becoming more destabilising than external pressure,” he said.
Sivamurugan said Bersatu’s survival remains “structurally fragile” due to its lack of deep grassroots machinery and its heavy reliance on elite cohesion, which is now weakening.
“Without unity at the top, longevity is uncertain,” he said when contacted.
He added that the most effective and realistic solution would be a clear leadership transition plan, coupled with a formal power-sharing arrangement.
“Clarity is the only workable solution,” he said.
Universiti Malaya’s Dr Mohammad Tawfik Yaakub said the party is confronting significant internal strain, which he attributed largely to conflicts among its leaders.
“It is more embarrassing when those destroying the party are not its political enemies, but its own leaders who are fighting and tearing Bersatu apart from within,” he said.
Tawfik said Bersatu was not founded on a clear ideological struggle, but had instead become a platform for disgruntled leaders expelled from or dissatisfied with other parties.
He warned the party could face the same fate as the now-defunct Semangat 46, which eventually vanished from the political scene.
Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Dr Azmi Hassan said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin would struggle to regain full control unless he took decisive action against Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin’s faction.
He warned that continued inaction would further weaken Muhyiddin’s leadership.
Alternatively, he said, Muhyiddin could step down and allow a transition of power.
“If Muhyiddin wants to remain as president, then all those linked to Hamzah must be removed.”
He added that prolonged instability could also unsettle PAS over its continued cooperation within Perikatan Nasional.
Against this backdrop, Bersatu has summoned its deputy president Hamzah over allegations that he was involved in efforts to sabotage the party and tarnish the image of its president Muhyiddin.
Hamzah and four division leaders have been called to appear before the party’s disciplinary board on Thursday.
The summons was issued after the party concluded there had been attempts to undermine Bersatu and damage Muhyiddin’s standing, amid escalating internal tensions.
The internal crisis played out in parallel with a closed-door meeting of Bersatu leaders at Muhyiddin’s residence on Sunday night, officially billed as a gathering ahead of Ramadan, but viewed by insiders as politically significant.
A senior Bersatu leader downplayed the meeting, describing it as merely a dinner among Bersatu MPs who are in the city for the parliamentary session.
