Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, of strategic advisory firm ADA Southeast Asia, pointed out that many Umno members left the party to join Bersatu to seek a merit-based system after feeling overlooked despite their contributions.

“If Bersatu continues prioritising hierarchy over performance, younger leaders will be discouraged from joining or continuing in the party,” he told FMT.

Asrul said Bersatu cannot depend on protest votes and must strengthen to build its support base with fresh ideas and new leaders.

“This will be difficult if the party names its leaders based on nepotism and not on merit,” he said.

In an interview with FMT, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin confirmed that Tambun Tulang assemblyman Wan Zikri Afthar Ishak was dropped from the Perlis exco because of party hierarchy, and not performance.

Muhyiddin said both Wan Zikri and Pauh assemblyman Megat Hashirat Hassan were not reappointed to the exco for the 2024-2025 term not because they had failed to carry out their duties, but due to their positions within the party.

Azmi Hassan of the National Professors Council said Muhyddin made the right move, as executive council appointments are typically based on party quotas and hierarchy rather than performance.

However, he said, exceptional cases of strong performance should lead to a re-evaluation of this approach.

“Even if hierarchy is the norm, the people of Perlis should voice their concern that if a particular assemblyman performed very well, then there’s no reason, even according to the party hierarchy, that someone else should be appointed,” he said.