Hamzah won’t step down as Bersatu’s number 2, says analyst

Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara also believes that the former home minister will remain mum over accusations that he was to blame for the current turmoil in Bersatu.

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin and his deputy Hamzah Zaimudin have faced calls to step down.

PETALING JAYA:

 Hamzah Zainudin is expected to ignore calls for him to resign as Bersatu deputy president, says an analyst

Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara believes that Hamzah is likely to wait for the party to make the first move, instead.

He said the party number two would remain mum over accusations that he was to blame for the current turmoil in Bersatu.

“I am certain Hamzah won’t step down nor address the calls for him to do so. He will wait for Bersatu’s disciplinary board to take action as it had done with his friends,” he told FMT, referring to three MPs who faced party action.

Wan Saiful Wan Jan (Tasek Gelugor) and Saifuddin Abdullah (Indera Mahkota) were expelled from the party, while Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (Machang) was suspended.

Azmi was commenting on growing calls for Hamzah to step down as deputy president, with the latest coming from Selangor Bersatu deputy chairman Rafiq Abdullah, who said several complaints had been lodged with Bersatu’s disciplinary board over Hamzah’s alleged role in the coordinated attacks against party president Muhyiddin Yassin.

Rafiq’s comments come in the wake of calls by Bersatu Supreme Council member Yunus Nurdin for Muhyiddin to step down as president, and make way for Hamzah to take over.

The party’s information chief, Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz, has since rebuffed such calls and said it was Hamzah who should resign instead as he had failed to perform as the party’s election director in Sabah, where the party was wiped out in the state polls last November.

According to sources, Bersatu’s internal strife began after Hamzah was appointed opposition leader in Parliament. Recently, the party took action against those aligned to him.

Azmi said he expects the turmoil in Bersatu to drag out, adding that it could be further complicated by the political developments in Perlis as well as Hamzah’s ties with PAS leaders.

Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) said calls for Hamzah to step down were likely to divide the party even further if not managed immediately.

The turmoil would be prolonged if Muhyiddin does not show any signs of relinquishing the presidency, despite pressure from Hamzah’s camp.

However, Mazlan said, Hamzah had two options – either close ranks with Muhyiddin or challenge him for the presidency at an appropriate time.

“It’s not an easy decision to make given that Bersatu is at a critical juncture and the risk of the party breaking up is high.” - FMT