Azmin seen as Bersatu’s bridge to PH if Muhyiddin steps aside

PETALING JAYA: Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali could emerge as a key figure in any future bid to revive cooperation between the party and Pakatan Harapan, but analysts say such a move remains unlikely as long as Muhyiddin Yassin holds firm control over the party’s direction.

Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri of Global Asia Consulting said Bersatu’s increasingly constrained position, following tensions within Perikatan Nasional and strained relations with PAS, may force the party to reconsider its political future.

He said the party may need to reassess its leadership structure and identify figures capable of negotiating a new political arrangement ahead of upcoming state elections and the next general election (GE16).

Johor is set to go to the polls on July 11, followed by Negeri Sembilan on Aug 1.

Zaharuddin said Azmin’s extensive political network and experience in inter-bloc negotiations place him among the few Bersatu leaders capable of facilitating such a shift, particularly if the party decides to re-engage PH.

“If survival demands that Bersatu renegotiate with old rivals, including PH, Azmin has a ‘strong mandate’ to do so in order to save the party,” he told FMT, pointing to his decade-long tenure as PKR deputy president.

Azmin was sacked from PKR in February 2020 following his involvement in the Sheraton Move, which saw Bersatu’s exit from PH which ultimately brought down the PH government.

Zaharuddin said that unlike Hamzah Zainudin, who was expelled amid internal conflict, Azmin does not necessarily need to mount an internal challenge to emerge as a key Bersatu figure to replace Muhyiddin.

“He does not need to challenge directly, but he could take over by default,” he said, suggesting a transition could happen organically if pressure over the party’s survival intensifies.

Meanwhile, Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said cooperation with other parties, including PH, is among Bersatu’s best options for political survival.

Azmi said PH could also benefit by broadening its appeal among Malay voters through such cooperation.

“However, PH’s history with Muhyiddin is very ‘dark’ and this has closed the door to cooperation,” he said.

Muhyiddin and Azmin have previously denied claims that Bersatu is seeking closer ties with PH, calling such allegations baseless and malicious.

Muhyiddin, the former PN chairman, has maintained that Bersatu will remain in PN “forever” despite internal strains, even as Azmin was recently removed as the coalition’s deputy secretary-general.