Bersatu will remain strong even without Muhyiddin, says party leader

 

Muhyiddin Yassin recently announced that he was prepared to retire after the next general election.

PETALING JAYA: A Bersatu Supreme Council member has rubbished the idea that the party would be in a difficult position if its president, Muhyiddin Yassin was no longer at the helm.

Razali Idris backed his argument by noting that the party remained intact even after Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s departure.

Mahathir, who was a Bersatu founder-member and chairman, quit the party in 2020 after resigning as the country’s eighth prime minister.

Razali said the culture in Bersatu is such where potential leaders would ensure they do not upstage their “boss” out of loyalty.

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“We have our own conventions when it comes to managing the party or the posts. We won’t outshine the number one,” he told FMT, adding that the current Supreme Council comprised professionals, some of whom were doctors.

Razali went on to say that Muhyiddin’s statement that he was prepared to retire after the 15th general election (GE15) was proof that in Bersatu, no one could be a leader forever.

His comment was also meant as a message for the party to assemble the next batch of leaders, he said.

Bersatu, Razali added, was unlike the other parties whose presidents had not given any clear indication on when they wanted to step down, including PKR, Umno and Amanah.

“In Bersatu, we want to give the next generation a chance. We’re not looking to the boss forever.”

Earlier this week a political analyst predicted a bleak future for Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional (PN) once Muhyiddin is longer at the helm.

Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said this was because most of its current leaders were not originally from the party, having crossed over from Umno and PKR.

However, Razali disagreed, saying there were many potential successors for Muhyiddin, including deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu, vice-president Radzi Md Jidin and information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan.

He added that ministers like Azmin Ali, Mustapa Mohamed and Hamzah Zainudin could also take over the reins.

Another Supreme Council member Faiz Na’aman said Umno’s constant attacks on the party was proof that the party would not become “fragile” in a post-Muhyiddin era.

He added that any doubt on whether the party had its own “bona fide” leaders was merely an issue of perception. - FMT