Muhyiddin advised members to uphold internal discipline - Azmin

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin has advised all party members to uphold internal discipline and to resolve any differences behind closed doors.

In a statement issued past midnight, Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali said the party’s supreme council welcomed the advice by Muhyiddin, who chaired a monthly meeting that lasted over four hours.

“The Bersatu supreme council welcomes the president’s advice that members remain steadfast, disciplined, and uphold a culture of mutual respect, and that any differences be resolved prudently, maturely, and privately for the sake of the party’s interests,” said Azmin (above, right).

However, Azmin did not elaborate on the advice or cite any examples of internal dissent.

However, before issuing the statement, Azmin was approached by reporters at Bersatu’s headquarters in Petaling Jaya and was asked to confirm whether the meeting had discussed rumours of a purported move to sack Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin.

In response, he said, “I am going to issue a statement based on our discussion.

“It’s almost done, just a little bit more, a paragraph that I received instructions from the president.

“Let me include that, and it will be issued tonight.”

When asked again if the statement would address discussions on rumours shared by, among others, Perkasa president Syed Hassan Syed Ali, Azmin said, “You just refer to the statement. All the details are there.”

Syed Hassan had claimed there were rumours that Hamzah could be sacked during a meeting last night, alleging it was part of a move by certain top leaders to steer Bersatu towards cooperation with Harapan and to sideline the parliamentary opposition leader.

In high spirits

Before the meeting, an aide to Hamzah said he had sighted the alleged rumours, but declined further comments beyond confirming the Larut MP’s attendance.

A cheerful Hamzah arrived at the party’s headquarters at around 8.30pm and left in equally high spirits at around 12.15am, in conversation with other party leaders and members.

However, both times he declined to speak to the media.

A source close to the party later revealed that Bersatu’s constitution did not provide powers for the supreme council to unilaterally sack any leaders or members, and instead, such a decision could only be made by its disciplinary board.

During Bersatu’s eighth general assembly last year, Hamzah reiterated his loyalty to Muhyiddin, but allegations that he supported attempts to take over the party’s leadership persist until today.

Hamzah was also the target of two fake letters bearing the letterheads of the Office of the Leader of the Opposition and Bersatu, claiming he had resigned as the parliamentary opposition leader.

A denial from Hamzah’s office came on the same day Muhyiddin confirmed that he was stepping down as PN chairperson.

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