National Professors Council fellow Azmi Hassan observed that the dissatisfaction began when the positions of president and deputy president were not open for contest.
Muhyiddin Yassin was allowed to retain his post as president, while secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin was named as the sole deputy president candidate.
“Delegates or grassroots (within Bersatu) are unhappy as they were not given the opportunity or path to elect candidates for these top two positions.
“Instead, they were only allowed to vote for vice presidents, the supreme council, and the party wings,” Azmi told FMT.
He also pointed to internal turmoil stemming from a power struggle between two factions, one aligned with Hamzah and the other with Azmin Ali, each vying to place their own candidates in key roles.
Muhyiddin’s inability to effectively manage the party and uphold democratic principles has weakened grassroots support, he said.
Yesterday, it was reported that Tenggara Bersatu dissolved immediately after its leader and 30 members, including 15 committee members, decided to leave the party.
Former division chief, Hassan Rasid, explained that the decision was made due to a loss of confidence in the top leadership, which he described as ineffective in party management and lacking transparency.
This move followed the resignation of former Pahang Bersatu treasurer Roslan Hassan, who announced his departure with 40 other members for similar reasons last Friday.
Rumours of factionalism within Bersatu have been circulating for some time.
This internal split became apparent when protests erupted in the Youth wing after Gombak Setia assemblyman Hilman Idham won the Bersatu Youth Chief post in the election.
Other than factional divides, Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) said that the opposition’s failure to secure a memorandum of understanding with the government might also be driving dissatisfaction with the party’s leadership.
“Additionally, the opposition’s weakness in providing a good check-and-balance against the government has contributed to this discontent,” he said.
“Members might feel the opposition is weak and unable to sustain their cause, prompting them to leave the party and seek new platforms.”