Malaysia's Bersatu roiled by internal feud amid Muhyiddin’s plans to retire

Factional rivalry said to be coming to a head with party polls expected in late 2024

- Shannon Teoh

Claims that a top Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia leader has often been seen at Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's office recently is the latest in a series of destabilising developments that calls into question the longterm viability of the opposition party.

The party, which was formed in 2016 as a direct response to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal engulfing then Premier Najib Razak, took power in 2018 when its then chairman Mahathir Mohamad was sworn in as prime minister following the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition's election victory.

He was succeeded by Bersatu's president Muhyiddin Yassin in 2020 after the majority of its leadership decided to partner other Malay-Muslim parties in a bid to stem ebbing support from Malaysia's majority community, leading to the break-up of the PH government.

But despite a credible performance in winning 31 parliamentary seats at the November 2022 General Election more than doubling its 2018 haul Bersatu has struggled in opposition. Six of its MPs have pledged support to the Anwar administration in exchange for millions in constituency funding, amid claims the number of rebels will soar into the double digits soon.

The government's decision not to abide by PH's election pledge to hand all MPs equal funding, be they part of the ruling coalition or the opposition, has further exacerbated Bersatu's financial problems, after its accounts were controversially seized by graft busters in early 2023.

Talk of a senior Bersatu official negotiating with the Premier "for survival" of his faction has made the rounds since early February, deepening suspicion and mistrust within the party. Checks by The Straits Times, however, raise doubt over the veracity of these rumours, which appear to have been stoked for political purposes.