Bersatu’s Internal Purge: Muhyiddin’s Strategy Or The Party’s Road To Collapse?

As suspensions and sackings rock Bersatu, an analyst warn Muhyiddin’s aggressive loyalty purge could either rebuild the party ahead of GE16 or accelerate its political downfall.

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The latest developments within Bersatu suggest the party is entering a far more aggressive internal “cleansing phase” rather than carrying out routine disciplinary action, according to Universiti Malaya socio-political analyst Prof Datuk Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi.

Awang Azman said the latest round of sacking and suspension of party leaders could be an indication that Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is attempting to reassert central control over the party ahead of the next general election.

“In party politics, discipline is important because a party that allows elected representatives to move freely without consequences will be seen as weak, disorganised and vulnerable to fragmentation,” he told TRP via WhatsApp.

However, Awang Azman warned that repeated suspensions and expulsions could also reinforce public perception that Bersatu has yet to resolve its leadership, loyalty and direction crises.

He said the party’s current trajectory appears to be moving towards a drastic restructuring exercise aimed at filtering who is genuinely loyal to the leadership and who may be considered a political liability ahead of 16th general election (GE16).

“This is no longer just about discipline. It is about determining Bersatu’s future ‘war line-up’ before the next election.

“The leadership may not want to continue carrying incumbents deemed misaligned with the party, even if they had previously won under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) banner,” he added.

Awang Azman said the possibility of Muhyiddin replacing a significant number of Bersatu MPs and assemblymen in the coming election cannot be dismissed.

Under normal political arrangements, incumbents are often given the first right to defend seats they previously won. However, he noted that suspending members for two terms or expelling them entirely effectively shuts the door on any future candidacy claims.

“The party can still argue that the seats belong to Bersatu or PN, but the previous incumbents would no longer be eligible to contest under the coalition,” he explained.

Bold move by Bersatu

Despite that, the analyst described the strategy as highly risky and potentially capable of triggering systemic damage within Bersatu itself.

He said the party risks losing local strength because incumbents usually possess established grassroots machinery, personal networks and local influence that cannot easily be replaced overnight.

At the same time, Awang Azman said voters may interpret the ongoing disciplinary crackdown as an elite power struggle rather than a fight centred on public interest issues.

He also pointed out that Bersatu’s actions could complicate seat negotiations within PN, especially with PAS.

“Ketereh MP Datuk Khlir Mohd Nor’s statement that he contested under PAS’ ticket reflects how party identity boundaries within PN are not always clear in the eyes of representatives and voters.”

Khlir, together with several other Bersatu MPs including Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz (Tanah Merah), Datuk Abdul Khalib Abdullah (Rompin), Nordin Ahmad Ismail (Lumut) and Datuk Rosol Wahid (Hulu Terengganu) were suspended from the party last Friday.

Two Bersatu assemblymen, Ahmad Man (Kuala Sepetang and Syed Lukman Hakim Syed Mohd Zain (Chenderoh) were also suspended last Friday.

Yesterday, Kok Lanas assemblyman and Ketereh division chief Datuk Mohamed Farid Mohamed Zawawi, as well as Parit division Armada chief Wan Meor Safwat Naqiuddin Shamsuddin, were expelled from Bersatu.

Meanwhile, Mersing MP Muhammad Islahuddin Abas and Bukit Bunga assemblyman Mohd Almidi Jaafar, who is also Jeli division chief, had their memberships suspended for two party election terms.

These leaders are deemed to be supporting former Bersatu Deputy President Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, who was sacked from the party in Ferbruary.

READ MORE: Woeful Weekend For Bersatu As Party Faces Leadership Crisis

Awang Azman further argued that the disciplinary actions expose Bersatu’s structural weaknesses as a party still heavily dependent on personality-driven leadership rather than stable institutional foundations.

He said Bersatu was born out of a major political wave but has yet to build ideological roots as strong as traditional Malay-based parties such as Umno or PAS.

“When parties face pressure involving power struggles, funding, court cases, leadership contests and seat negotiations, the loyalty of elected representatives becomes more fragile.”

According to Awang Azman, Bersatu is now standing at a critical crossroads that could either strengthen or severely weaken the party ahead of GE16.

“If this strategy succeeds, Muhyiddin may emerge as a leader who successfully cleansed the party of disloyal factions and rebuilt a more disciplined team.

“But if it fails, it will be viewed as defensive leadership that is increasingly losing control while shrinking the party from within.”

He added that the real question facing Bersatu today is no longer merely about replacing incumbents, but whether the process will produce a stronger new generation of leadership or accelerate internal fractures that ultimately benefit their political counterpart.

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