OVER 1,000 members of Bersatu in Jeli have reportedly resigned from the party, following closely on the heels of 480 members from the party’s Gua Musang division, having announced their departure last week to join UMNO.
This mass exodus marks a challenging period for Bersatu, raising questions about the party’s stability and influence within the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.
The departures include eight branch leaders and 18 Wanita branch heads in Jeli, highlighting a leadership crisis within the party.
The departing group spokesperson Rodzi Muhammad expressed disappointment with Bersatu’s current state. He criticised the party for what he described as its reliance on external candidates, specifically pointing to the decision to field a PAS candidate in the upcoming Nenggiri by-election.
Nenggiri by-election Bersatu candidate Rizwadi Ismail stated that his candidacy was at the behest of PAS’s top leadership, further fuelling speculation about PAS’s influence over Bersatu.
Rizwadi is the former deputy youth chief of PAS in Gua Musang.
“Bersatu is no longer the dominant Malay party in PN. It is as though Bersatu is being manipulated and beguiled by PAS within PN,” Rodzi said at a press conference in Jeli.
The previous resignation of 480 members from Gua Musang has left 12 branches effectively paralysed, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
Moreover, a representative from this group cited a lack of confidence in Bersatu’s leadership, describing it as weak and devoid of “bright ideas”.
The Nenggiri by-election scheduled for Aug 17 will feature a direct contest between PN’s Rizwadi and Barisan Nasional’s Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani who is also the current Kelantan UMNO Youth chief. – Aug 7, 2024
Main photo credit: MalayMail
