Perikatan Nasional Just Had Its “Game Of Thrones” Moment

Former PM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin stepped down as PN chairman ahead of New Year’s Eve, followed immediately by Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali quitting as Secretary-General and Selangor chairman, and Johor chairman Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal also resigning.

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Malaysia’s opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN) is having what we might call a “resignation party” – except nobody’s celebrating, and everyone’s leaving.

First, former Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin stepped down as PN chairman ahead of New Year’s Eve-he did not provide a specific reason for his resignation; many sources indicate that it is linked to various tensions within the coalition.

Nothing says “Happy New Year” quite like a political resignation, right?

Barely a few hours later, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali followed suit, quitting as PN’s Secretary-General and Selangor state chairman, effective 1 January.

His reasoning? Since Muhyiddin appointed him to the job, and Muhyiddin’s gone, so he’s quitting too.

It’s like when your favourite manager leaves the company and suddenly half the department hands in their notice.

Except this is Malaysian politics, so it’s messier.

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The Domino Effect

But wait, there’s more, as Johor PN chairman Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal also threw in the towel, citing Muhyiddin’s departure as his reason.

It was followed by Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, known as Peja, who announced his resignation as the PN Perak chairman.

At this rate, PN leadership positions are dropping faster than New Year’s resolutions.

Social media users are having a field day with this political drama.

One user quipped: “Yesterday they wanted Anwar to step down, today they’re the ones stepping down.”

Another observer noted the irony: “They used to rely on PAS grassroots support anyway… after winning, we barely saw them.”

Government supporters, naturally, are loving this.

One commented, “This is why people should stick with the stable Unity Government” – because nothing says political stability quite like your opponents imploding on New Year’s Day.

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The Plot Thickens

Some Malaysians are already speculating about what comes next. “Can’t wait to see the plot twist in this Muhyiddin-Azmin drama,” one social media user wrote, questioning whether they’d resign that easily.

There’s even cheeky speculation about whether the duo might eventually rejoin their former allies in Pakatan Harapan (PH) – which would be the political equivalent of getting back together with your ex after a very public breakup.

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For those keeping score at home: PN was formed five years ago by Bersatu and PAS following political realignments (which led to the collapse of the PH government), and later included Gerakan as a formal member.

But the coalition has been experiencing significant tensions lately, with PAS accusing Bersatu of initiating conflicts within the alliance and attempting a leadership coup in Perlis.

Now it’s looking less like a united front and more like a group project where everyone’s abandoning ship before the deadline.

Whether this is genuine political reshuffling or strategic manoeuvring remains to be seen – but Malaysian politics just got a lot more interesting as the new year beckons.

@wanhadi21 Allah Swt maha mengetahui segala perkara. Doa qunut nazilah diterbalikkan kepada puak2 Perikatan Nasional hari ini. #perikatannasional #muhyiddinyassin #azminali #pas #anwaribrahim ♬ original sound – Wan Hadi