No more dispute over Bersatu elections, all is calm, says Muhyiddin
The party president says members now see the ‘bigger picture’.
(FMT) – Bersatu members are no longer disputing the results of the party elections which had been marred by controversy, its president Muhyiddin Yassin said, adding that all is calm now.
“There’s no more squabbling as we see the bigger picture,” Muhyiddin told FMT. He described the party polls as democratic.
The elections, which ended earlier this month, saw Muhyiddin re-elected as president, with Hamzah Zainudin as deputy president for the 2024-2027 term. Both posts were uncontested.
Former ministers Ronald Kiandee, Radzi Jidin and Ahmad Faizal Azumu were elected as vice-presidents.
Their victory meant that Muhyiddin’s “formula” for the party elections, which saw the candidates’ list leaked in July, had been fulfilled.
However, the elections were not without hitches.
Elections were not held at 10 divisions, which have been suspended by the national leadership, while those in several divisions in Kelantan were postponed to next month.
The election campaign also saw two divisional leaders leaving the party with their supporters, citing lack of confidence in the party leadership.
Muhyiddin also dismissed the existence of a “cartel” at the elections, alluding to the alleged camps within the party that were coveting the top posts.
The elections had been viewed as a proxy battle between Hamzah and Azmin Ali, who joined Bersatu from Umno and PKR, respectively. Azmin has been appointed the party secretary-general.
Muhyiddin said there would always be assumptions that the party was divided into different factions, especially in the run-up to the elections.
“But that’s not the case. This perception (of factions) is also found in other political parties, but in the end, they close ranks,” he said.