Sabah Bersatu unfazed amid calls for Muhyiddin to quit - Kiandee

Summary

• Sabah Bersatu chief Ronald Kiandee downplays the party’s leadership turmoil in Kuala Lumpur, insisting preparations for the state election remain unaffected.

• His remarks come amid growing calls for Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin to resign, with several senior leaders openly rebelling against his leadership.

Sabah Bersatu chief Ronald Kiandee says the party’s ongoing leadership crisis will not disrupt preparations for next month’s state election, even as several senior figures in Peninsula Malaysia openly urge party president Muhyiddin Yassin to step down.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, Kiandee (above) said it was "business as usual" for the Sabah chapter of the party, adding that there are no hiccups.

“All parties face problems; it’s normal. Azmin (Ali) also left PKR once.

“Every party goes through challenges. It’s normal for any political organisation to have hiccups along the way,” he said when met in Kota Kinabalu on Wednesday.

Asked whether the turmoil and calls for Muhyiddin’s resignation could hurt Bersatu’s performance in the Sabah election, Kiandee was, however, cautiously optimistic.

“I hope it will not affect us here in Sabah. We just had our party meeting chaired by the president. As far as the state election is concerned, it’s business as usual. There’s no problem,” he said.

Kiandee, who is also Bersatu vice president, maintained that Sabah’s leadership understood the stakes and that the dispute would not spill over during such a critical campaign period.

“The leadership knows how important this state election is. Yes, the crisis is happening now, but whatever is going on at the federal level should not affect Sabah,” he added.

Kiandee confirmed that Sabah Bersatu will contest under the Perikatan Nasional logo, with seat allocations to be announced on Nov 11.

Leadership revolt in Kuala Lumpur

Kiandee’s comments come amid intensifying pressure on Muhyiddin’s leadership following an open rebellion among several of Bersatu’s top ranks.

Indera Mahkota MP Saifuddin Abdullah was the latest to join a growing chorus in Bersatu demanding Muhyiddin’s resignation to make way for new leadership.

In a joint statement co-signed by six Bersatu division chiefs, from Pasir Salak, Puchong, Dungun, Jasin, and Selayang, Saifuddin also called for the removal of party secretary-general Azmin, saying the party must be freed from “moral problems” damaging its reputation.

The remark was widely seen as a reference to Azmin’s past sex-video scandal, which resurfaced as ammunition in Bersatu’s internal struggle for control.

Following his remarks, Saifuddin was removed from his position as Pahang state liaison chief for PN, following a decision by the coalition’s supreme council.

Saifuddin is the third lawmaker to publicly turn against Muhyiddin, after Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal.

The ongoing crisis also reflects a deepening power struggle within Bersatu, with rival factions challenging Muhyiddin’s authority.

Escalating turmoil

The turmoil erupted publicly during the party’s general assembly in September, where several delegates heckled Muhyiddin amid rumours of a plot to unseat him.

The confrontation later prompted the party’s disciplinary board to expel Wan Saiful on Oct 14, and suspend Wan Fayhsal, triggering a public war of words between dissenting MPs and the leadership.

For now, Kiandee insists the storm in Kuala Lumpur will not shake Bersatu’s ground operation in Sabah.

“The party understands what’s happening. Whatever is taking place in Kuala Lumpur it should not affect our election here. Let’s hope so,” he stressed.

Sabah will go to the polls on Nov 29, with PN members from Bersatu, PAS and Gerakan, expected to join the contest.

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