An analyst has downplayed calls for Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to resign as Bersatu president and Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman following the coalition’s poor performance in the 17th Sabah state election, describing the demand as lacking impact and not reflective of local political realities.
Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said the call, which came from Sabah Bersatu secretary Yunus Nurdin, is unlikely to trigger a leadership change, as it originates from a state with unique political dynamics.
“It lacks bite because it came from the Sabah Bersatu secretary. Muhyiddin cannot be held 100% responsible for PN’s defeat in that election. In my view, the pressure does exist, but for it to be effective, it must come from outside of Sabah, ideally from Peninsular Malaysia,” Azmi told FMT.
Yunus had urged Muhyiddin to step down after Bersatu failed to win any of the 33 seats it contested in Sabah. PN secured only one seat in the state, Karambunai, through PAS candidate Aliakbar Gulasan. Yunus blamed internal party strife ahead of the election for undermining voter confidence.
Muhyiddin has previously faced discontent within Bersatu and calls to resign ahead of the 16th general election to make way for his deputy, opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin.
Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri of Global Asia Consulting warned that Yunus’s call should not be dismissed lightly. He said Bersatu’s setback in Sabah may signal deeper internal power struggles, not merely tactical errors.
“The total failure in Sabah raises questions: is this weakness purely due to technical errors, or is there an internal effort to undermine the leadership and build momentum to oust the president? If true, it would be a cunning power move, using failure as a stepping stone to rise to the top leadership,” he said.
Ahmad added that if calls for Muhyiddin to step down intensify, Hamzah Zainudin is the most likely successor.
