The resignation of 114 Bersatu branch chiefs in Perlis signals a deepening crisis within the party that could have wider political implications, an academic said.
Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) lecturer Muhammad Izmer Yusof said the development was not unexpected, given Bersatu’s limited strength when contesting elections without strong coalition partners.
He said the party’s past electoral performance showed it had benefited significantly from the support and machinery of its allies.
“Before the 14th General Election (GE14) in 2018, Bersatu benefited from its cooperation with Pakatan Harapan, while after 2020, it relied on Pas’s machinery,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Izmer said the ongoing tensions between Bersatu and Pas could further weaken the party, even without the resignation of the 114 branch chiefs.
“Without support from a strong political partner, its prospects in future elections would be severely affected,” he said.
On the possibility of cooperation between Pas and Umno, Izmer said political alliances were shaped by shared interests rather than permanent friendships or rivalries.
He said seat allocation would likely be the biggest challenge, particularly in the four states under the SG4 grouping — Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu — where Umno’s electoral strength is limited.
He said Pas and Umno could consider dividing constituencies based on their respective areas of influence, with Pas and Perikatan Nasional potentially retaining seats in the SG4 states, while Barisan Nasional focuses on Melaka, Johor and Negri Sembilan.
Turning to the emergence of Wawasan, Izmer said the new party could attempt to fill the political space left by Bersatu in Perlis and potentially at the national level.
He said seats currently held by Bersatu could potentially be contested by Wawasan candidates in future state or general elections.
The internal crisis in Bersatu Perlis began on July 9 when Menteri Besar Abu Bakar Hamzah resigned from the party’s supreme leadership council, followed by state executive councillor and Sena assemblyman Marzita Mansor.
On the same day, Bersatu Perlis secretary and Senator Azahar Hassan announced his resignation from the party and all positions he held.
The crisis continued on Aug 11 when another state executive councillor, Megat Hashirat Hassan, resigned as an Arau division committee member.
The situation escalated on Sept 8 when Padang Besar Bersatu deputy chief Ramzi Md Udi and 14 branch chiefs left the party.
This was followed by the resignation of 90 Kangar division branch chiefs on Sept 9 and another 10 Arau division branch chiefs the following day.
