Hidden hands stir trouble for Bersatu

BERSATU deputy president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu is fighting back against a smear campaign on social media claiming he is next to declare support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The Bersatu deputy president has no such intention. He has also dismissed insinuations of being the hidden hand behind the string of Bersatu MPs declaring support for Anwar.

Ahmad Faizal spent several hours with party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Wednesday (Nov 8) morning to discuss the issue before making a statement via his Facebook page that he remains fully committed to Bersatu and Perikatan.

Although Ahmad Faizal was close to the Kuala Kangsar MP who was the first to shift his support, the subsequent “shifters” - the MPs for Labuan, Gua Musang and Jeli - are said to be aligned to Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin.

What happened has shaken and embarrassed Bersatu. The four MPs dodged the anti-hopping law and will not need to face a by-election even if sacked by Bersatu. They are not officially “frogs” but they have betrayed their party.

Social media is bubbling with criticism that the Madani government should not be party to such unethical practices when it already has the biggest Parliamentary majority since 2013.

Is the unity government anxious to shore up its Malay numbers?

Bersatu insiders say the real target is Muhyiddin. The aim is to dent Muhyiddin’s status, to signal that he cannot control his MPs and that they are abandoning him.

Yes, the ruling coalition wants to take down Muhyiddin and undermine his leadership but there is also gossip that the hidden hands behind this may actually involve individuals in the party. There is a clearly a well-thought plan that is still unfolding.

Muhyiddin faced some sort of pressure after the Johor and Melaka state election which saw Bersatu doing badly. However, the former prime minister recovered his prestige and has been riding high after Perikatan’s outstanding performance in the general election and state polls.

“There is no question that we want Muhyiddin to continue to lead. He is the unifying factor in the party,” said Taman Medan assemblyman Dr Afif Bahardin.

The Bersatu election is due next year and this awkward situation is seen as a strategic move to influence the mood at the division meetings which will be starting in a few months.

Ahmad Faizal has been frank that he is not interested in the top post.

However, it is an open secret that Hamzah and Datuk Seri Azmin Ali have ambitions in the party. Both men keep up appearances in public but the rivalry is simmering below the surface.

Some have dubbed it as the “rivalry of the two opposition leaders”.

“There is a lot of noise about them but they have a working relationship. They worked closely in the preparation for the state elections in Selangor,” said Dr Afif, who is an acolyte of Azmin.

Hamzah is the opposition leader in Parliament whereas Azmin in the opposition leader in the Selangor state assembly. The competition is on to gauge who will do a better job at tackling the government bench.

Hamzah has been getting much attention in Parliament but needs to show more bite in debating policies.

Azmin’s turn to impress will come when the Selangor government tables its budget at the end of the month. He has already held a retreat to prepare Perikatan assemblymen for the sitting.

Meanwhile, Hamzah has set up base in a bungalow, painted all white, in Taman Tunku which has been dubbed the “White House”.

Some refer to it as his “clubhouse” where he holds political meetings and social gatherings and possibly because of the patch of golf putting green and a pleasant courtyard. He recently hosted a Singapore minister there.

His former Publika office is now turned into the Perikatan headquarters. Hamzah used to come across as a bashful and reserved politician but he has turned out to be quite an awesome ceramah speaker.

As the Larut MP, Hamzah has the edge over Azmin who is only an assemblyman and Ahmad Faizal, who lost in Tambun.

Hamzah is upping his game and it has ambition written all over it.

Meanwhile, Azmin remains close to Muhyiddin who has not forgotten that he would not have become prime minister without Azmin’s support after the Sheraton Move.

Muhyiddin had proposed Azmin for the deputy prime minister post when Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob took over the helm but Ismail maintained the arrangement of four senior ministers.

Azmin is very respectful to Muhyiddin; he meets Muhyiddin before making big moves.

“I am going to be direct here, the so-called rivalry between Hamzah and Azmin is not about two sons trying to win the attention of their father.

“The real rivalry is between Hamzah and Muhyiddin. Hamzah is trying to strengthen his position with an eye on the party presidency,” said a highly-placed Bersatu figure.

Given the complex scenario, who between the two is more likely to rise to the top as rumours swirl of hidden hands and a plot to destabilise Muhyiddin?

Ironically, both Hamzah and Azmin may not be eligible to contest the presidency.

The party constitution specifies that only members who have served two full terms on the supreme council can contest the top post. Apparently, neither man qualifies on that count.

Should Muhyiddin decide to step aside, the post may land on the lap of the man who is reluctant to take over, namely, Ahmad Faizal.

Party sources said the door to the Bersatu presidency sort-of opened after Muhyiddin was charged with money laundering and graft in March.

Muhyiddin told a Bersatu meeting that he could no longer be the prime minister candidate because a prime minister cannot be sworn in while facing court charges. He said he will go through the process to clear his name.

It marked a political shift in the party and some think that may have set in motion ambitious moves to chip away at his presidency.