COMMENTARY, March 13 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is staring at a divided party he may not have complete control over, and whatever he does for the party and the government may render him ineffective.
The prime minister is only an acting chairman of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), with the real chairman, former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad alive and kicking when his resignation at the end of February was rejected.
Claiming the position back, Dr Mahathir still has influence among the leaders and grassroots of the party that claims to have around 300,000 members who are currently holding their annual assemblies (AGMs) at the branch and division levels.
Muhyiddin’s position is precarious as he walks the tightrope of the fragile political position he is in — a party divided and a new government formed through verbal agreements with other parties.
Dr Mahathir has already thrown down a challenge against Muhyiddin for the party’s June election. If he wins, he may just be back as PM and Muhyiddin may be out of “job” while the party deputy president, who is Dr Mahathir’s son Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, may become the deputy prime minister.
Muhyiddin needs to determine whether Dr Mahathir’s membership is still valid because the party leadership did not accept the latter’s resignation; legally, he is still the party chairman.
The party leadership had also in January decided that the top three posts — chairman, president and deputy president — should not be contested, which complicates matters for Muhyiddin.
The chairman’s post is held by Dr Mahathir, the president is Muhyiddin and the deputy president is Mukhriz. Muhyiddin is sandwiched between father and son who are now his biggest political enemies.
If the party leadership does not withdraw the “order” for no contest of the top three posts, then Muhyiddin may be in deep trouble and if the “order” is withdrawn, it should be done now because the divisions are having their AGMs where nominations are being made for the leadership line-up.
At present, Dr Mahathir and Mukhriz are going round the country holding ceramahs with Bersatu members in what is considered an indirect campaign against Muhyiddin and his new government.
Whether the talks will affect the nominations come next month is immaterial but under the present situation where Dr Mahathir and Muhyiddin are political rivals, the former’s ceramahs may affect how nominations trend.
Unless the party leadership calls for an urgent meeting and decide on Dr Mahathir’s status, Muhyiddin is sitting on the edge of a cliff, like hanging on a rope.
Then there is the problem of Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and his former PKR “cartel” members who are now Bersatu members holding positions in the Cabinet.
Despite them being not eligible to contest because they do not fulfil the one-year membership criteria to be able to contest, it will be awkward that Cabinet ministers — especially Azmin who is placed as a senior minister — not to have a position in the party.
Bersatu members have been quiet all this while under Dr Mahathir as they wanted to maintain the party’s stability but with current developments and the ongoing party election’s, the situation may change.
This is Bersatu’s inaugural party election and any slip-up cannot be undone until three years later, which is 2023 and after the next general election.
The fear is dissatisfied members may derail the party’s stability during the general election, which may see the party’s dominant role in the informal alliance taking a dip for the worse.
