SHAH ALAM – When Bersatu convened its eighth annual general meeting in September 2025, it was expected to be a show of unity for Malaysia’s main opposition party.
Instead, the event exposed deep rifts within the leadership and set off a chain of events that has since left Bersatu reeling from public scuffles and leadership denials to high-profile expulsions and suspensions.
Here is how the turmoil unfolded and what it means for the party’s future.
The scuffle that shook the stage
On Sept 6, tensions erupted during Bersatu’s annual general meeting at the IDCC Convention Centre in Shah Alam. Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was delivering his opening address when a group of delegates began heckling and shouting for him to step down.
The shouting soon escalated into a brief scuffle, forcing security to intervene and restore order.
Muhyiddin pressed on with his speech despite the disruption and later described the incident as “embarrassing” but said it would not divide the party.
“It should not have happened, but it did. We have our own wise and courteous ways to deal with this and ensure it does not prolong," he said.
The episode revealed internal tensions that had been simmering for months, particularly over claims that certain party leaders were collecting statutory declarations (SDs) to challenge Muhyiddin’s leadership.
A public gug and a promise of unity
The day after the commotion, on Sept 7, deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin stood side by side with Muhyiddin in what was seen as an attempt to patch up the damage.
The two leaders hugged on stage as Hamzah declared there was “no hostility between us.”
“I am his number one man,” Hamzah told reporters, reaffirming his loyalty to the party president.
Muhyiddin, too, appeared emotional, telling the audience that Hamzah’s gesture had touched him deeply.
The symbolic embrace was widely viewed as an effort to cool tempers and project an image of unity after a chaotic weekend.
However, political observers stated that the damage had already been done, as the outburst had laid bare the divisions within Bersatu’s upper ranks.
The SD controversy and accusations of betrayal
In the following weeks, reports emerged that dozens of Bersatu division chiefs had signed statutory declarations calling for Muhyiddin to step down.
Supreme council member Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan later confirmed that he had helped collect the SDs but insisted that the move was not part of a plot to oust the president.
“I collected SDs. The leaders are not trying to topple Muhyiddin,” he told the media.
Wan Saiful also turned his criticism toward Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, saying that Azmin was “not suitable to be a Bersatu leader” until the long-standing controversy surrounding an explicit video allegedly linked to him was resolved.
Azmin denied all allegations and dismissed the remarks as a political attack, saying the claims were baseless and intended to damage his reputation.
Disciplinary action and the purge of dissidents
By early October, Bersatu’s disciplinary board began summoning key figures for hearings over the internal dispute.
On Oct 8, the board called in Wan Saiful and Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, among others, to answer allegations of breaching party discipline.
A week later, on Oct 14, the party announced sweeping disciplinary actions.
Wan Saiful was expelled from Bersatu, with the letter stating that he was “dismissed from all membership rights in the party.”
Wan Ahmad Fayhsal was suspended for one election term.
Four other division chiefs from Ipoh Timor, Hang Tuah Jaya, Ampang and Pengerang were also removed from their positions.
The disciplinary board said the decisions were made “in line with the party’s constitution and code of ethics,” and that affected members could appeal within 14 days.
However, both Wan Saiful and Wan Ahmad Fayhsal denounced the move as politically motivated.
“In the letter I received, it stated that the disciplinary board met on Oct 8 and decided that I be dismissed from all membership rights in the party,” Wan Saiful said, adding that no detailed explanation was given.
Their expulsions marked the most significant disciplinary shake-up in Bersatu since its formation and signalled Muhyiddin’s determination to reassert control over the fracturing party.
Fallout and political implications
The Bersatu crisis has far-reaching implications beyond party walls. Political analysts say the turmoil has badly damaged Bersatu’s image as a cohesive and disciplined party. It also raises doubts about its stability as a key pillar of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.
The party’s internal divisions have prompted observers to warn that Bersatu could lose influence to its coalition partner, Pas, which has maintained a more unified base among Malay-Muslim voters.
Political analysts also argue that Muhyiddin’s handling of the crisis will determine whether the party can survive the next general election intact.
Bersatu now faces the challenge of rebuilding trust and enforcing discipline while convincing voters that it remains a credible opposition force.
Whether the internal wounds can heal or deepen further remains to be seen.