Wan Fayhsal withdraws appeal against Bersatu suspension, cites loss of confidence amid party purge

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 — Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal has formally withdrawn his appeal against his suspension from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), saying he no longer has confidence in the party’s leadership and governance.

In a letter dated February 16 to Bersatu Appeals Board chairperson Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun, Wan Fayhsal said he would not pursue further appeals, while acknowledging the professionalism of the board in handling his case. 

The letter was shared on his Facebook page today.

“While I appreciate the efforts of the Appeals Board in listening and allowing due process in accordance with principles of natural justice, I will not pursue any further appeals,” he wrote, adding his decision follows his assessment of Bersatu’s weaknesses in practising good governance and a deviation from its founding objectives.

Suspended for one term in October last year, Wan Fayhsal is among 17 party members recently expelled by Bersatu’s disciplinary board. 

He described the dismissals as a mass purge, noting those affected include former supreme council members Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah, who had earlier withdrawn their appeals.

“I feel relieved and at peace in making this decision,” he said in the letter, thanking the Appeals Board for conducting the process fairly and allowing him space to present his case.

The recent expulsions come amid a protracted internal struggle between Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and deputy Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, which has fuelled months of factional tensions within the party. 

Many of those sacked were widely perceived as aligned with Hamzah.

The row escalated last week when Bersatu’s disciplinary board expelled Hamzah from the party with immediate effect, accusing him of breaching the party constitution under Clause 9.1.4 and stripping him of his membership rights. 

Although he has the right to appeal within 14 days, the decision marked a dramatic fall for the deputy president and Opposition Leader.

At Bersatu’s annual general meeting in September last year, several delegates openly called for Muhyiddin’s resignation, fuelling speculation about a push to replace him through statutory declarations — tensions that now appear to have reached a breaking point.