ALL EYES ON MUHYIDDIN - WILL HE ANNOUNCE 'SUCCESSION FORMULA' AT BERSATU MEETING NEXT WEEK? - HAMZAH STILL THE FAVORED CANDIDATE TO TAKE OVER?

Written by Stan Lee, Politics Now! 

KUALA LUMPUR (Politics Now!) - All eyes are on ex-premier Muhyiddin Yassin - will he defend the presidency of the Bersatu party he founded or will he pass the baton to long-time lieutenant Hamzah Zainuddin, the party secretary-general?

Bersatu, which won 31 of the 222 seats in Malaysia's Parliament in the 2022 general election, has been struck by crisis following the 'backdoor defections' of four of its MPs. This has also opened the door for Muhyiddin's rivals from within the party to attack him.

"I don't think Muhyiddin is ready to wave the white flag. Bersatu may not have broad-based, centrist appeal but it has been able to capture Malay support, so there is value in the party," a political analyst told Politics Now!

"What we see is a lack of funds problem. Bersatu's bank account has been frozen and there are complaints that Muhyiddin is reluctant or doesn't dare to use his own private money to help out the party."

MUHYIDDIN TOO ALOOF? STINGY TOO?

Indeed, the 76-year-old Muhyiddin has maintained a stubborn aloofness despite many analysts warning that more are expected to follow the 'gang of 4', who had cunningly declared support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government in exchange for federal funding, while refusing to leave Bersatu - so as to avoid triggering an Anti-Hopping Law that requires MPs to vacate their seats once they quit their parties.

Instead Muhyiddin has struck 'soft alliances' with ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad as well as extended an olive branch to the disgraced but still influential Najib Razak, another ex-PM but who is now in jail for corruption.

However, dissatisfied party mates seem to want more action from Muhyiddin. 

According to Bersatu Supreme Council member Eddin Syazlee Shith, there was now a "void" in the party that he warned must be rectified before the next general election due to be held latest in 2027. 

“If we only think about ourselves … we will fail to see our weaknesses but it will be on display for everyone around us to see. We have to accept that reality,” Eddin was reported as telling the media.

Saying that party leaders must be magnanimous and relinquish their posts if they were no longer able to cope, Eddin called for "change to be initiated" in an "orderly way" at the party's annual meeting due to be held next week.

"I see that many leaders in Bersatu like our secretary-general (Hamzah) may be capable of making improvements to the party.

“But there has to be order if we want to initiate change. It doesn’t strictly mean that the secretary-general should replace the president (Muhyiddin), but there must be some sort of formula,” he was quoted as saying in Free Malaysia Today. 

WHO HAS THE BIGGEST WAR CHEST WINS

Bersatu must also hold party election in 2024 after postponing it earlier this year to focus on the elections held in six states in August. 

Apart from Hamzah, there are two other power brokers who could fight Muhyiddin for the party presidency - deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu and senior leader Azmin Ali.

"It all boils down to money - who has the biggest war chest wins," said the analyst. 

"If they really want to take on Muhyiddin who is considered to be the richest in Bersatu, then the favored candidate is Hamzah, who has the funds and the connections to take over and run the party. Azumu is seen as not having enough money but he may be a 'proxy' candidate for very powerful figures from outside Bersatu who may want to control from behind the scenes. Lastly, there is Azmin who is said to be very well off these days but his problem is finding acceptance among Bersatu grassroots who are mostly from Umno," the analyst added.

Written by Stan Lee, Politics Now! 

Politics Now!