He said Hamzah never harboured dreams of becoming party president or prime minister despite his background as a former rugby captain, corporate executive and senior government minister.
Saifuddin linked Hamzah’s stance to a hadith of Prophet Muhammad, which forbids seeking positions of power except in certain circumstances for the public good.
He also drew a parallel with the story of Prophet Yusuf, who offered to manage the nation’s treasury because of his competence and integrity during a crisis.
“Prophet Yusuf offered himself for the position not out of greed for power, but for the welfare of the people and the stability of the state.
“In this context, Hamzah is offering himself to lead his colleagues and all who wish to join him in leaving a decayed ‘old house’ for a stronger and more stable ‘new house’,” Saifuddin wrote in his “Merentas Ruang” column published by Sinar Harian.
Hamzah, the former Bersatu deputy president, was expelled on Feb 13 after being found to have violated Clause 9.1.4 of the party constitution.
He was referred to the party’s disciplinary board for allegedly instigating chaos at a party assembly last September and for failing to prevent statements that tarnished president Muhyiddin Yassin’s image.
At a subsequent one-day gathering, the Larut MP not only declared himself Muhyiddin’s number one enemy but also announced his new movement to rebuild the nation, urging his “friends” to support his cause.
Hamzah also declared that he had no intention of appealing against the sacking.
Hamzah claimed he had the backing of 18 out of 25 Bersatu MPs, including Saifuddin, who was also expelled last month.
According to Saifuddin, Hamzah’s decision to leave the “decayed old house” to build a stronger one is not motivated by personal political survival but is a strategic move to foster a more mature and stable political landscape.
He said the “Reset” movement aims to build a new national consensus that genuinely unites people of all races, religions and regions, while calling for reform of institutions, systems and laws.
“This effort also involves nation-building across multiple sectors for the benefit of the people.
“It encompasses improving government services, expanding the economy, distributing the nation’s wealth fairly and ensuring the welfare of the rakyat,” he said.