Bersatu veep: Muhyiddin failed to handle party crisis, should resign
Bersatu vice-president Ronald Kiandee has finally made a stand in the party's internal struggle between president Muhyiddin Yassin and deputy president Hamzah Zainudin.
Ronald (above), in a statement today, said that the party disciplinary board's summons against Hamzah gave the public the impression that Bersatu is fixated on safeguarding Muhyiddin's position, instead of the issues it champions.
"In this context, Muhyiddin has failed to manage the party's internal crisis effectively and has let it drag on to a point where it is impossible to resolve.
"More unfortunately, he is seen to be using his remaining strength to defend his position as (Bersatu) president to fulfil his personal agenda to become prime minister again, which includes preventing Hamzah from leading Bersatu in the future," Ronald said.
In light of this, the Sabah Bersatu chief said Muhyiddin should consider resigning as Bersatu president, adding that this would also help with strategic ties in Perikatan Nasional.
He then jabbed at Muhyiddin, saying that a "big-hearted" leader can accept such remarks just like the Bersatu president had once turned against Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2008.
Ronald's allegiances were previously unclear, although sacked Bersatu leader Saifuddin Abdullah previously implied that he was against the party taking action on Hamzah.
There was also speculation that he was behind calls by 20 of 24 Sabah Bersatu divisions calling for Muhyiddin to resign after the party suffered a wipe-out in the November 2025 state election.
Bersatu's two other vice-presidents, Radzi Jidin and Ahmad Faizal Azumu, are aligned with Muhyiddin.
Ouster move
Muhyiddin’s critics have sought to oust him over concerns that the party would lose public support without fresh leadership.
The infighting had eased somewhat over the last few months. However, a tussle between Muhyiddin's camp and PAS over control of PN appeared to have reignited Bersatu's internal strife.
Over the past week, the pro-Muhyiddin camp has been stepping up pressure against Hamzah, including calls for the deputy president to be disciplined or removed.
This, in turn, led to the disciplinary board issuing a summons against Hamzah, over claims that he enabled the anti-Muhyiddin camp.
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