The Opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) has been without a chairman since coalition party Bersatu chairman Muhyiddin Yassin resigned with effect from Jan 1, 2026.

No reason was given as to why Muhyiddin resigned, but the speculation is that it has to do with a tiff with PN’s anchor party, PAS, over Bersatu’s role in the coup that eventually led to Perlis’ PAS Menteri Besar Shukri Ramli’s resignation.

Eight assemblymen, five from Bersatu and three from PAS, from the 15-member Perlis assembly submitted statutory declarations (SDs) to the Raja of Perlis to indicate a loss of confidence in the MB, resulting in Shukri’s resignation.

As is now common in Malaysian politics where certain actions are not made public, who initiated the move to get the SDs to remove the MB is not publicly known.

Whether PN was aware of this move is another mystery, but PAS fired its three assemblymen whose seats were declared vacant by the state assembly Speaker. Bersatu was asked to do the same to its five assemblymen. Apparently Bersatu didn’t. What is known is that the Raja of Perlis had requested that Bersatu name its candidate for the MB’s post, which the party duly did and its candidate — Abu Bakar Hamzah — was appointed the next MB.

(There is no need for by-elections for the vacated seats if, according to the state constitution, two years or less is left before the state assembly is dissolved for the next elections.)

PAS members did not mince their words in criticising Bersatu for its lack of cooperation, and in that context Muhyiddin resigned.

Why Muhyiddin didn’t speak with his counterpart in PAS and sort out the issue is another mystery. It, however, shows that communication has apparently broken down between the two parties.

Muhyiddin did have a meeting with PAS leaders at his house two weeks ago. Both parties, however, had different interpretations of the meeting based on leaked correspondence. In a letter to PN party heads, Muhyiddin said the meeting decided to abolish the PN chairman’s post and replace it with a presidential council led by Bersatu and an executive council led by PAS.

Hadi responded to the letter in a letter that Muhyiddin’s proposal was neither discussed nor agreed to.

It has been a month since Muhyiddin’s resignation and while these exchanges carried on on who said what, the issue of finding a replacement for PN’s chairman post remains unresolved.

It’s imperative that PN calls for a supreme council meeting soon to decide on Muhyiddin’s resignation. PAS president Hadi Awang has declined the PN’s chairman’s post due to failing health. It only makes sense that the chairman is chosen — and chosen quickly — from the next line of leaders in the hierarchy since the presidents of the two major coalition parties are out of the running.

While they are at it, PN should also create a deputy chairman’s post so that he/she can take over if the chairman is indisposed in any way and removed or steps down. It is not wise for PN to be headless especially if the general election is suddenly called.

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin’s position as Bersatu president is becoming more uncertain. In light of Hadi’s response to Muhyiddin’s letter, Bersatu leaders want Muhyiddin to step down.

The call to Muhyiddin to step down isn’t recent. It began before the party’s annual general meeting in September last year, when Bersatu supreme council member Wan Saiful Wan Jan was said to have collected 120 SDs from Bersatu’s divisions, which featured a proposal not to discuss or nominate a prime minister candidate at the AGM.

In the midst of conflicting reports about the SDs, Wan Saiful clarified — at a press conference days after the AGM — that the collection of the SDs were misinterpreted as an effort to topple the president and that was why the president had said in his policy speech that party members were collecting signatures to unseat him. This had led to one person yelling, “Not true, not true” followed by others who had called on him to step down.

Wan Saiful had explained that there was nothing in the SDs asking Muhyiddin to step down, but that, for some reason, Muhyiddin went along with the false narrative created by some. Wan Saiful and a few others were subsequently sacked or suspended on grounds quoted in the party constitution but never explained.

If despite Wan Saiful’s clarification, he and others were expelled or suspended for the same reason, there is definitely something wrong with the way dissent and differences are managed in Bersatu.

Since then, there have been intermittent calls by divisions for Muhyiddin to step down but the latter has ignored them.

Against this background, the question is: Why is Muhyiddin hanging on to the president’s post when he has so poorly managed dissent in his party? Is it because he is misperceiving threats that are not there due to the influence of close key supporters?

At the same time, Muhyiddin faces corruption charges in court, which disqualify him from holding public office. He, however, may think that until found guilty, he could still be a PM-designate, and if he becomes a PM and is found guilty, he could get a royal pardon and continue on as PM. That is placing a great deal of stress on a still-new party. How are party members to sell their president to voters who previously faithfully voted for Umno but who have now switched to Bersatu, thinking the latter is a cleaner alternative?

If Muhyiddin wants to retain his position as party president, the best solution is to hold elections and open the contests for the top two positions. But that is not possible now, since he has declared no contest for the top two positions.

If he is unable to see things as they really are and face the realities surrounding his court case, and the latter is affecting his judgement to the point of risking his relationship with the head of the anchor party in PN, it may be a good idea for him to take time out and let his successor take over so that he can clear his head.

If his prospects then turn for the better, Muhyiddin can always come back, stand for election and get a fresh mandate to lead again.