KUALA LUMPUR – In an unprecedented attack on their party’s leadership, suspended Bersatu MPs Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal and Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan have declared party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin “no longer viable and tenable” to be the next prime minister.
The duo accused Muhyiddin of poor judgment, favouritism towards certain leaders, and actively undermining Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin, leading to a weakened Perikatan Nasional (PN).
The scathing critique was launched during an appearance on the Trick Lama podcast on Tuesday, hosted by Big Boom Media’s Group Executive Director Datuk Ahirudin Attan, better known as Rocky Bru, and Scoop’s Editor-in-Chief Terence Fernandez.
“I’m sorry, I love Tan Sri Muhyiddin, he brought me into politics, but he’s no longer viable and tenable to be the next Prime Minister of Malaysia,” Wan Fayhsal, who is also Machang MP, said unequivocally.
He argued that the party and the PN coalition require a “fresh face” and a change in leadership to win the next general election, implying that Muhyiddin has become a political liability.
Wan Fayhsal revealed that this assessment was shared by key allies, including PAS, whose president, Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, has twice made veiled remarks suggesting a preference for a leader under 70 and free from court cases.
“The odds are against him,” Wan Fayhsal said, alluding to sensitive issues that could hinder Muhyiddin’s candidacy.
Supporting this view, Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful, who was sacked from the party, asserted that Bersatu’s momentum only began to surge when Hamzah took a more prominent role, contrasting it with the period when the opposition was perceived as weak under Muhyiddin’s overall leadership.
“When people said Perikatan Nasional was weak, the one leading was Tan Sri Muhyiddin,” Wan Saiful said.
“But when Datuk Seri Hamzah moved to the forefront, he started organising our movements in the Dewan Rakyat… the momentum surged. Suddenly, (Muhyiddin’s) spirit rose again, saying ‘I want to be Prime Minister again’.”
The discussion painted a picture of deep internal strife, which Wan Fayhsal described as a battle between “two lions on the same mountain.” He claimed that Hamzah’s authority as opposition leader was being systematically undermined by Muhyiddin’s inner circle.
“Every time the opposition leader tried to be assertive, fight Anwar (Ibrahim) head-on, he was reminded by the president’s right-hand men: ‘You are not the leader of Perikatan Nasional, you are just the opposition leader in Parliament’,” Wan Fayhsal said.
This internal sabotage, they argued, is the primary reason for PN’s lack of effectiveness in holding the government to account.
Wan Fayhsal and Wan Saiful, along with four other division chiefs, were recently suspended or sacked for what the party deemed disciplinary infractions. However, they maintain they are being punished for attempting to reclaim the party and restore its original principles.
“This is not personal,” Wan Saiful insisted.
“We must not deny Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s services to the party and the nation. But we are talking about moving forward.” – October 23, 2025