Muhyiddin’s leadership dilemma as GE16 looms

2026-03-06 - 00:43

Radzi Jidin, Ahmad Faizal Azumu and Azmin Ali were recently identified by Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin as his potential successor in office. PETALING JAYA: Muhyiddin Yassin may have expressed readiness to pass the baton to the next generation of Bersatu leaders, but analysts say he faces a dilemma as the prospect of a snap 16th general election looms. Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani. Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani of ADA Southeast Asia said a Bersatu leadership transition before GE16 would signal renewal, and could potentially win over voters who view Muhyiddin as part of an old guard of political has-beens. He told FMT that such a move would also give the new party president time to consolidate authority within Bersatu ahead of the next nationwide polls. Azmil Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia said it would be wise for Muhyiddin to kickstart a leadership transition plan before GE16, adding that, at the very least, the former prime minister should identify his successor. However, both analysts said this may come with major risks to Bersatu. Azmil Tayeb. “It’s too controversial to do it now, since the party is so fragmented,” Azmil said, referring to the recent expulsion of Hamzah Zainudin and others aligned with him, which has also triggered mass resignations. Asrul said Muhyiddin remains Bersatu’s most nationally-recognised figure. His successor might find his shoes too big to fill so soon, he added. “Stepping aside too close to the election could risk internal uncertainty if a clear successor has not yet emerged.” Muhyiddin, 78, has been Bersatu president since its formation in 2016. He was also chairman of Perikatan Nasional since its founding in 2020, but stepped down on Jan 1 after the political crisis in Perlis, which led to a public spat between PAS and Bersatu leaders. Muhyiddin recently said he would pass the mantle on to the next generation of leaders “soon”, pointing to the likes of Bersatu vice-presidents Radzi Jidin and Ahmad Faizal Azumu, secretary-general Azmin Ali, and youth chief Hilman Idham as capable leaders. Radzi, Faizal and Azmin are all former federal ministers. Radzi is the sole MP among the trio currently, while Faizal and Azmin have had the experience of leading the Perak and Selangor governments, respectively. Gap left by Hamzah However, this group of leaders lack the influence Hamzah once wielded among Umno supporters — a crucial factor given Bersatu’s central objective of drawing voters away from the party. Hamzah, the opposition leader, built his political career in Umno before defecting to Bersatu in 2019 after Barisan Nasional fell out of power. “Hamzah’s advantage is that he can siphon support away from Umno to PN, something this bunch of Bersatu leaders are unable to do,” said Azmil. “What Bersatu needs to do is prove that it is a better alternative to Umno since it targets Malay-majority areas that used to be Umno strongholds. It needs to get its act together and show a unified front as soon as possible in preparation for GE16.” Asrul said that among the potential successors named by Muhyiddin, Azmin stands out as the most nationally recognisable figure, positioning him as a frontrunner to take over the party’s leadership. However, he pointed out that the former Selangor menteri besar lost his long-held Gombak seat in the 2022 general election by more than 12,000 votes, despite having represented the constituency for three consecutive terms when with PKR. “To be seen as Muhyiddin’s successor, Azmin may first need to prove his electoral strength again by winning a parliamentary seat in GE16.”