KUALA LUMPUR – Sacked and suspended Bersatu leaders have shed light on what they describe as the inexplicably “special status” of Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali within the party, portraying him as a protected “anak emas” (golden boy) whose influence has been a major source of internal strife.
During a tell-all session on the Trick Lama podcast on Tuesday, Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal painted a picture of a party leadership beholden to Azmin, whom they labelled the “main mastermind” behind the recent purge.
Speaking to Big Boom Media’s Group Executive Director Datuk Ahirudin Attan, better known as Rocky Bru and Scoop Editor in Chief Terence Fernandez, the duo questioned why party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin appears willing to sacrifice party loyalists and even risk relations with key ally PAS to defend the former PKR deputy president.
“What are Azmin’s contributions to the party, really?” Wan Saiful asked, expressing bewilderment at Azmin’s elevated position despite his perceived lack of grassroots support within Bersatu.
“The reality is, if you ask the grassroots, they still can’t accept that Azmin has such a special position.”
The most striking example, Wan Saiful revealed, was when Muhyiddin nominated Azmin for the post of Deputy Prime Minister during Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration.
The move bypassed Bersatu’s entire leadership hierarchy, including its deputy president and three vice-presidents. “He nominated Azmin Ali,” Wan Saiful said, adding that the decision was made unilaterally without being discussed at the party’s Supreme Council.
The hosts noted that Azmin has a history of being a political favourite, with Rocky Bru tracing his “blue-eyed boy” status through a succession of leaders, from Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to Muhyiddin today.
Both suspended MPs claimed that criticising Azmin was a red line within the party. Wan Saiful disclosed that one of the two charges leading to his sacking was for publicly criticising Azmin and other leaders.
“I was sacked, but there are others who criticised Tun Faisal (Ismail Aziz) who were also called by the disciplinary board,” Wan Saiful said, highlighting the party’s sensitivity to any dissent against its favoured figures.
Wan Fayhsal added another layer to the internal power dynamics, alleging that the controversial winner of the Armada (youth wing) chief election, Hilman Idham, is known to be “Azmin’s boy.”
This suggests the internal purge is deeply connected to a factional struggle, seemingly orchestrated to consolidate power around Azmin and his allies.
In his most direct accusation, Wan Saiful claimed that Azmin was the architect of the turmoil that has led to their removal. “Datuk Seri Azmin, in my opinion, is the main mastermind behind all of this,” he said.
The revelations raise serious questions about the internal schisms within Bersatu and the true extent of Azmin Ali’s influence over the party’s direction and its president. – October 23, 2025