OPINION | Muhyiddin 1–1 Hamzah: How the Game of Brinkmanship Inside PN Is Going
14 Jan 2026 • 7:00 AM MYT
TheRealNehruism
An award-winning Newswav creator, Bebas News columnist & ex-FMT columnist
Image credit: BebasNews
There is a game going on in Perikatan Nasional, with Muhyiddin on one side and Hamzah and PAS on the other.
The game started because Muhyiddin is unable to lead Perikatan Nasional to victory, or even to avoid Perikatan Nasional from continuously losing. Yet despite this inability, Muhyiddin was stubbornly insisting on remaining the captain of Perikatan Nasional.
The goal of the game, therefore, is simple: to have a captain of Perikatan Nasional who can lead Perikatan Nasional to victory.
Hamzah and PAS, on one side, believe that this can be done if Muhyiddin is forced out and someone else — perhaps Hamzah himself — replaces him.
Muhyiddin, on the other hand, believes that this can be done if PAS and Hamzah accept his leadership and give it their full support.
The Perlis MB fiasco gave the PAS camp an opening to strike at Muhyiddin. By pointing to Muhyiddin’s inability to prevent Bersatu ADUNs from overthrowing the PAS Perlis Menteri Besar, PAS forced Muhyiddin to give up his chairmanship of Perikatan Nasional.
Muhyiddin, however, has an ace up his sleeve.
Despite giving up the Perikatan Nasional chairmanship, he is still retaining his position as Bersatu president.
Muhyiddin is retaining his position as the head of Bersatu, likely because he knows that although he has lost his position as head of Perikatan Nasional, he can still get it back if no alternative is found to replace him.
He is likely aware that although PAS can, in theory, put a candidate from its own camp to become the new chairman of Perikatan Nasional, it is unlikely that it will do so. This is because it is unlikely that a PAS leader will be able to lead Perikatan Nasional to victory.
The reason for this is a little long to explain here, but put simply, Malaysian politics has reached a stage where coalitions cannot be led by the strongest party within them. This is true for both the ruling coalition, Pakatan Harapan, and the opposition coalition, Perikatan Nasional.
Just as Pakatan Harapan would collapse if DAP — the biggest party in the ruling coalition — were to lead Pakatan Harapan, Perikatan Nasional would also collapse if PAS — the biggest party in Perikatan Nasional — were to lead Perikatan Nasional.
Just as Pakatan Harapan can only win if a candidate from PKR leads Pakatan Harapan, Perikatan Nasional also can only hope to win if a candidate from Bersatu leads Perikatan Nasional.
However, with Muhyiddin still remaining as Bersatu president, it is unlikely that he will allow another candidate from Bersatu to be nominated to lead Perikatan Nasional.
Muhyiddin is thus likely hoping that by ensuring no alternative Bersatu candidate emerges, PAS will eventually have no choice but to give in and call him back to serve as the head of Perikatan Nasional.
As it stands, it has already been declared that although Muhyiddin has announced he is stepping down as chairman of Perikatan Nasional, his resignation is not official yet. Perikatan Nasional’s constitution requires the resignation to be discussed and accepted at a leadership meeting. In other words, there is nothing stopping Muhyiddin from u-turning and returning as chairman of Perikatan Nasional.
U-turns, after all, are not new to Muhyiddin. Just 2 year ago, he announced that he was stepping down as Bersatu president, only to reverse that decision within 24 hours.
The recent expulsion of Saifuddin Abdullah from Bersatu is another indication that Muhyiddin may be intending to force PAS to ask him to resume office as chairman of Perikatan Nasional.
Saifuddin has been a major internal critic of Muhyiddin within Bersatu. His sacking is therefore a clear sign that Muhyiddin is tightening his grip on the party and purging key figures aligned with Hamzah’s camp, in order to prevent any internal mutiny that could replace him as Bersatu president.
This view is shared by analysts. Azmi Hassan has noted that the sacking and suspension of Bersatu leaders aligned with Hamzah is a deliberate attempt by Muhyiddin to reduce his deputy’s influence and fortify his own leadership. The power to sack members, he pointed out, is a “potent weapon” that allows a president to weaken rivals before they can challenge him.
This is not limited to Saifuddin alone. Bersatu has previously sacked Wan Saiful Wan Jan, suspended Wan Ahmad Fayhsal, and expelled several division chiefs allegedly linked to a statutory declaration movement aimed at toppling Muhyiddin. The pattern is clear: Muhyiddin is consolidating power from the top down.
PAS, meanwhile, is also playing brinkmanship. It has declared that it has candidates ready to lead Perikatan Nasional and has said it will announce its decision soon. Names such as Abdul Hadi Awang and Ahmad Samsuri Mokthar have been floated, and Muhyiddin’s recent “casual” meeting with Samsuri has only fuelled speculation.
For now, however, we do not yet know what Hamzah is really up to.
If Hamzah is qualified to lead Perikatan Nasional, then he must show that he can do something against Muhyiddin — and soon.
The problem with Muhyiddin all along is that he is essentially a manager or gatekeeper. He knows how to punch down. He is capable of keeping those below him in line. But he is incapable of punching up against those above him.
With Perikatan Nasional as the underdog in its competition with Pakatan Harapan, Muhyiddin’s strengths are of little use. Perikatan Nasional needs a leader who can punch up and win against a more powerful opponent, not an administrator who can only keep those under him in line, without showing that he has any potency to win.
If Hamzah truly has what it takes to lead Perikatan Nasional, then this is the moment for him to prove that he can punch up and take down a more powerful opponent.
Muhyiddin is above Hamzah in Bersatu. He is using his position as party president not only to keep those below him in line, but also to gatekeep Perikatan Nasional’s leadership — ensuring that no one else can lead Perikatan Nasional except himself.
Hamzah must show that he is capable of outmanoeuvring and defeating Muhyiddin.
He must, because if he cannot even defeat Muhyiddin, then he most certainly cannot defeat Anwar either.
And if that is the case, PAS may have to resign itself to recalling Muhyiddin as chairman of Perikatan Nasional. Because what is the point of replacing Muhyiddin simply because he cannot lead Perikatan Nasional to victory, with a Hamzah who also cannot lead Perikatan Nasional to victory?
Why waste energy, effort, attention, time, and resources over something that leads to the exact same conclusion?
There is a game going on in Perikatan Nasional, with Muhyiddin on one side and Hamzah and PAS on the other.
The game started because Muhyiddin is unable to lead Perikatan Nasional to victory, or even to avoid Perikatan Nasional from continuously losing. Yet despite this inability, Muhyiddin was stubbornly insisting on remaining the captain of Perikatan Nasional.
The goal of the game, therefore, is simple: to have a captain of Perikatan Nasional who can lead Perikatan Nasional to victory.
Hamzah and PAS, on one side, believe that this can be done if Muhyiddin is forced out and someone else — perhaps Hamzah himself — replaces him.
Muhyiddin, on the other hand, believes that this can be done if PAS and Hamzah accept his leadership and give it their full support.
The Perlis MB fiasco gave the PAS camp an opening to strike at Muhyiddin. By pointing to Muhyiddin’s inability to prevent Bersatu ADUNs from overthrowing the PAS Perlis Menteri Besar, PAS forced Muhyiddin to give up his chairmanship of Perikatan Nasional.
Muhyiddin, however, has an ace up his sleeve.
Despite giving up the Perikatan Nasional chairmanship, he is still retaining his position as Bersatu president.
Muhyiddin is retaining his position as the head of Bersatu, likely because he knows that although he has lost his position as head of Perikatan Nasional, he can still get it back if no alternative is found to replace him.
He is likely aware that although PAS can, in theory, put a candidate from its own camp to become the new chairman of Perikatan Nasional, it is unlikely that it will do so. This is because it is unlikely that a PAS leader will be able to lead Perikatan Nasional to victory.
The reason for this is a little long to explain here, but put simply, Malaysian politics has reached a stage where coalitions cannot be led by the strongest party within them. This is true for both the ruling coalition, Pakatan Harapan, and the opposition coalition, Perikatan Nasional.
Just as Pakatan Harapan would collapse if DAP — the biggest party in the ruling coalition — were to lead Pakatan Harapan, Perikatan Nasional would also collapse if PAS — the biggest party in Perikatan Nasional — were to lead Perikatan Nasional.
Just as Pakatan Harapan can only win if a candidate from PKR leads Pakatan Harapan, Perikatan Nasional also can only hope to win if a candidate from Bersatu leads Perikatan Nasional.
However, with Muhyiddin still remaining as Bersatu president, it is unlikely that he will allow another candidate from Bersatu to be nominated to lead Perikatan Nasional.
Muhyiddin is thus likely hoping that by ensuring no alternative Bersatu candidate emerges, PAS will eventually have no choice but to give in and call him back to serve as the head of Perikatan Nasional.
As it stands, it has already been declared that although Muhyiddin has announced he is stepping down as chairman of Perikatan Nasional, his resignation is not official yet. Perikatan Nasional’s constitution requires the resignation to be discussed and accepted at a leadership meeting. In other words, there is nothing stopping Muhyiddin from u-turning and returning as chairman of Perikatan Nasional.
U-turns, after all, are not new to Muhyiddin. Just 2 year ago, he announced that he was stepping down as Bersatu president, only to reverse that decision within 24 hours.
The recent expulsion of Saifuddin Abdullah from Bersatu is another indication that Muhyiddin may be intending to force PAS to ask him to resume office as chairman of Perikatan Nasional.
Saifuddin has been a major internal critic of Muhyiddin within Bersatu. His sacking is therefore a clear sign that Muhyiddin is tightening his grip on the party and purging key figures aligned with Hamzah’s camp, in order to prevent any internal mutiny that could replace him as Bersatu president.
This view is shared by analysts. Azmi Hassan has noted that the sacking and suspension of Bersatu leaders aligned with Hamzah is a deliberate attempt by Muhyiddin to reduce his deputy’s influence and fortify his own leadership. The power to sack members, he pointed out, is a “potent weapon” that allows a president to weaken rivals before they can challenge him.
This is not limited to Saifuddin alone. Bersatu has previously sacked Wan Saiful Wan Jan, suspended Wan Ahmad Fayhsal, and expelled several division chiefs allegedly linked to a statutory declaration movement aimed at toppling Muhyiddin. The pattern is clear: Muhyiddin is consolidating power from the top down.
PAS, meanwhile, is also playing brinkmanship. It has declared that it has candidates ready to lead Perikatan Nasional and has said it will announce its decision soon. Names such as Abdul Hadi Awang and Ahmad Samsuri Mokthar have been floated, and Muhyiddin’s recent “casual” meeting with Samsuri has only fuelled speculation.
For now, however, we do not yet know what Hamzah is really up to.
If Hamzah is qualified to lead Perikatan Nasional, then he must show that he can do something against Muhyiddin — and soon.
The problem with Muhyiddin all along is that he is essentially a manager or gatekeeper. He knows how to punch down. He is capable of keeping those below him in line. But he is incapable of punching up against those above him.
With Perikatan Nasional as the underdog in its competition with Pakatan Harapan, Muhyiddin’s strengths are of little use. Perikatan Nasional needs a leader who can punch up and win against a more powerful opponent, not an administrator who can only keep those under him in line, without showing that he has any potency to win.
If Hamzah truly has what it takes to lead Perikatan Nasional, then this is the moment for him to prove that he can punch up and take down a more powerful opponent.
Muhyiddin is above Hamzah in Bersatu. He is using his position as party president not only to keep those below him in line, but also to gatekeep Perikatan Nasional’s leadership — ensuring that no one else can lead Perikatan Nasional except himself.
Hamzah must show that he is capable of outmanoeuvring and defeating Muhyiddin.
He must, because if he cannot even defeat Muhyiddin, then he most certainly cannot defeat Anwar either.
And if that is the case, PAS may have to resign itself to recalling Muhyiddin as chairman of Perikatan Nasional. Because what is the point of replacing Muhyiddin simply because he cannot lead Perikatan Nasional to victory, with a Hamzah who also cannot lead Perikatan Nasional to victory?
Why waste energy, effort, attention, time, and resources over something that leads to the exact same conclusion?
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