Fadli said there was little hope for harmonious cooperation if remarks that Bersatu lacked an effective grassroots machinery were easily dismissed.

He was referring to a viral video of a ceramah by Azmin Ali in Melaka last night, in which the Bersatu secretary-general pushed back against claims that his party lacked grassroots machinery and urged critics to “open their eyes and ears”.

Fadhli also raised concerns about Bersatu’s actions in Perlis and Negeri Sembilan, saying they cast doubt on the party’s ability to exercise sound judgment independently in forming a federal government after the 16th general election (GE16).

“Personally, I believe the best way forward is for us to go our separate ways. We can remain friends, just not during elections.

“You can look for political allies with sharper hearing, clearer vision, and a stronger sense of smell. All the best,” he said in a Facebook post.

On May 22, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang claimed that Bersatu demanded many seats in previous state elections and by-elections, despite having insufficient machinery on the ground.

According to Hadi, PAS had often been forced to deploy its own machinery to support coalition efforts on the ground.

He also criticised Bersatu’s role in Perlis, which saw the menteri besar’s post shift from PAS to Bersatu.

Commenting on the political crisis in Negeri Sembilan, Hadi questioned why Bersatu’s assemblymen backed down after initially agreeing to align with Umno to form a new state government.

Fadhli said there was nothing wrong with a party lacking a strong grassroots machinery, especially if it was still relatively new.

However, he said, the real problem arose when such weaknesses were not acknowledged, leading to political decisions being made based on an inflated sense of strength that did not reflect reality.