Tawfik Yaakub of Universiti Malaya said Bersatu appeared to be in a tight spot over the conflicting opinions about Najib and a royal order on house arrest in an addendum to a pardons board decision.
He told FMT that failure to establish a clear party stance would affect Bersatu’s goal of replacing Umno as the leading party championing the Malays.
“I see that Bersatu is trapped and divided over solidarity with Najib, which could disrupt its ambitions,” he said. It was possible that more Bersatu members might quit over the apparent support for Najib.
Yesterday, Mahathir Rais, the federal territories secretary of Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional, quit Bersatu and resigned from both posts, saying his political struggle and that of the party were no longer aligned.
Tawfik said Bersatu members would be confused as to whether the party led by Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib’s former deputy turned rival, is still against Najib or is now for him.
Mahathir had been critical of the Jan 6 pro-Najib rally attended by PAS and several Bersatu leaders, saying it reeked of political opportunism when PN leaders spent years campaigning against corruption and canvassing for support based on that struggle.
Among leaders who attended the rally in solidarity with Najib over the addendum issue were Bersatu and PN secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin, PAS vice-president Samsuri Mokhtar, Bersatu vice-president Ronald Kiandee and Bersatu Supreme Council member Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal.
Tawfik said there would have been no conflicting opinions within Bersatu if Muhyiddin had not stayed silent about the rally.
However, other pundits had believed that Muhyiddin had no choice but to remain silent for fear of ruffling feathers within PN whether by his support for Najib or otherwise.
Ariff Aizuddin Azlan of Universiti Teknologi Mara said PN was split into several camps over the Najib issue, especially following PAS’s attempt to mend ties with Umno through the rally.
“There could be a bigger split in PN if the leadership does not handle the situation soon,” he said.
Ariff added that the last thing the Bersatu leadership would want is to see an exodus of members and them forming their own party or choosing to return to Umno.