Opposition party Bersatu, which is aiming to become a lead party governing Malaysia by the next general election, is facing a leadership tussle ahead of its second internal polls in 2024.
Faced with a potentially tough fight to retain his post in the 2024 party polls, Bersatu's founding president, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, a former Malaysian prime minister, shocked many by announcing on Nov 24 that he would not defend the post.
But he rescinded the decision a day later after being persuaded by his supporters, a move that exposed deep divisions in the seven-year-old party formed by Mr Muhyiddin and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as an alternative to Malay nationalist party Umno.
"I think he (Muhyiddin) sensed that there are those in the party who are eager to succeed and therefore sideline him, so he was pulling an 'advancing by feigning retreating' tactic like in the Chinese classics," said Dr Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.
"Both Dr Mahathir, when he was Umno president, and former MCA president, Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, pulled it off before, consolidating their positions after claiming to step down."
Mr Muhyiddin, 76, attributed his decision to soldier on to his wife, Puan Sri Noorainee Abdul Rahman.
"She told me to stay for another term, don't disappoint them.
They need you, they're sincere," he said during his closing speech at the party's General Assembly on Nov 25. "I followed her advice because Bersatu is not strong yet.
Denne historien er fra November 29, 2023-utgaven av The Straits Times.
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Denne historien er fra November 29, 2023-utgaven av The Straits Times.
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