PETALING JAYA. A proposal to pair Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin with vice-president Radzi Jidin at the apex of the party could serve as a compromise to resolve a widening internal conflict, says an analyst.
Mazlan Ali, a political analyst at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, said growing calls for party president Muhyiddin Yassin to step down reflect deepening divisions that could threaten Bersatu’s future, if left unresolved.
He said transitioning the leadership to Hamzah and Radzi would satisfy multiple stakeholders, particularly PAS, the coalition’s most important partner.
“PAS has been seen favouring Hamzah and Radzi,” he said, noting that the Islamic party has also had many disagreements with Muhyiddin.
Mazlan also rejected claims that Hamzah was responsible for PN’s poor showing in the recent Sabah election, saying the polls outcome reflected local sentiments rather than leadership failure.
“Blaming Hamzah for PN’s poor results in the recent Sabah state election is unfair and a claim intended to blacken his reputation,” he said.
Mazlan’s remarks came after Kepong Bersatu chief Ahmad Nizar Sani urged a leadership shake-up, with the Hamzah–Radzi pairing proposed to steer Bersatu into the 16th general election.
Nizar cited Muhyiddin’s inability to ease internal tensions, concerns over the party’s relations with PAS and the need for “fresh, inclusive leadership” to guide the coalition forward.
Asked how Radzi would complement Hamzah, Mazlan said he was an “open-minded leader” with an academic background who has remained neutral on party affairs.
“Radzi appears to be someone who does not take sides. He can be relied on as a leader capable of bringing reconciliation within Bersatu — a leader who can balance the current tensions between the Muhyiddin and Hamzah factions,” he said.
Radzi was among the Bersatu leaders who gathered at Muhyiddin’s residence in Bukit Damansara on Sunday, which those in Hamzah’s camp boycotted.
Akademi Nusantara analyst Azmi Hassan, however, was more cautious about the Hamzah-Radzi proposal, suggesting that the call for change likely originated from Hamzah’s camp.
He said Radzi was better positioned as a figure of neutrality and compromise to reduce factional tension, and would be best paired with another unaligned leader.
Azmi also noted that while Muhyiddin retains support among the top leadership, Hamzah is stronger at the grassroots level.