Marzuki Mohamad blamed the internal strife on the faction aligned to former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin instead.

He said the decision by Muhyiddin, the Bersatu president, to name Hamzah as his deputy was proof that there were plans for a leadership transition.

“So, it is not a question that Bersatu feared discussing a leadership transition,” he said in a Facebook post.

Marzuki was commenting on a claim by former Bersatu Supreme Council member Zulkifli Bujang the crisis stemmed from Bersatu’s failure to openly discuss the leadership transition.

Zulkifli’s remarks were in response to Marzuki’s claims that Hamzah was using PAS and Umno to create schisms in Bersatu to grab the reins from Muhyiddin without contesting the top post.

Marzuki also pointed out that Muhyiddin had appealed to Ahmad Faizal Azumu, the then deputy president, to make way for Hamzah at the party polls.

Muhyiddin and Hamzah won the presidency and deputy presidency unopposed at the 2024 party elections.

Faizal was elected as one of the three vice-presidents, along with Ronald Kiandee and Radzi Jidin.

Marzuki said the coordinated attacks against Muhyiddin to force the former prime minister to step down began after the party polls.

“According to the party’s constitution, an EGM must be held to table and debate a motion to remove the president,” he said.

Half of the party’s divisions or at least two-thirds of members on the Supreme Council must submit a written request for such an EGM to be held, he said.