KUALA LUMPUR – Bersatu’s top leadership has reached a consensus to “immediately resolve” its internal turmoil, which has recently spilled into the public domain with conflicting claims about a leadership succession plan and alleged factionalism.
Information chief Datuk Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz revealed that the decision was made following a series of high-level meetings, including with the party’s political bureau and Supreme Council (MPT), held specifically to address the growing rift.
“It so happens that there are many issues, and when there are issues, we have to manage them,” Tun Faisal said on the Trick Lama podcast by PodaBoom.
“I think from both of these meetings, we have a consensus that we need to resolve this problem immediately.”
The move comes as the party grapples with very public dissent, most notably from former information chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan, who was sacked from the supreme council last month.
Wan Saiful had claimed that party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had an agreement to step down and hand over the reins to deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin — a claim Tun Faisal flatly denied on the podcast.
“Never. That agreement never happened,” he said, and when asked by host and Big Boom Media’s Editor in Chief Terence Fernandez if that meant Wan Saiful had lied, Tun Faisal replied with a direct: “Yes.”
Instead, he argued that the narrative stemmed from a misunderstanding of discussions at the party’s “Gopeng retreat,” which he insisted was about empowering Muhyiddin to formulate a long-term succession plan, not an immediate handover.
Speaking to Terence and co-host Datuk Zainul Arifin, who is also Big Boom Media’s Chief Executive Officer, Tun Faisal stressed that the party’s leadership is now determined to put an end to the infighting to refocus on larger national issues and upcoming elections.
“That’s why last night (last week) in our MPT meeting… we made a decision, everyone agreed, this issue must be resolved immediately,” he reiterated.
“We need to go back to our bigger focus and objectives.”
Tun Faisal also addressed the persistent narrative of a party divided by competing camps loyal to Hamzah and another key figure, supreme council member Datuk Seri Azmin Ali. He pushed back against this, suggesting the issue is being amplified by external elements.
He claimed the notion of an “Azmin camp” was first brought to his attention by the media and was based on the same misinterpretation of the Gopeng retreat.
The turmoil, he suggested, ultimately benefits Bersatu’s political rivals, namely Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.
While admitting to the existence of a “crisis,” Tun Faisal downplayed its severity, dismissing the idea that Bersatu is split down the middle.
“There is an attempt to portray that the division in the party is very severe, supposedly a 50-50 split. But the situation is not like that,” he insisted, maintaining that the majority of members remain firmly behind Muhyiddin.
He characterised those challenging the leadership as a “vocal minority” whose influence has been exaggerated.
“The ones making a fuss, making noise, are actually just a handful. They are not many. But they are noisy,” he said.
To restore order, Tun Faisal said the party must return to its foundational principles, which are anchored in its constitution. He explained that these structures exist to ensure the organisation runs in an orderly and harmonious manner.
“When you have a constitution and regulations, it is so that the situation within the organisation is orderly, harmonious, and we have freedoms, we have rights, but there are also limitations that must be followed,” he said.
With a resolution in sight, Tun Faisal said Bersatu’s immediate priorities are the upcoming Sabah state election and preparing for the 16th general election, which he predicts may be held as early as next year.
The Trick Lama podcast, produced by PodaBoom and published by Big Boom Media — which also runs Scoop — features in-depth political conversations with current and former policymakers. – November 10, 2025