According to a Bersatu division chief who did not wish to be named, the SDs were issued by 16 of the 24 chiefs who did not agree with the way Faizal had asked Sungai Manik assemblyman Zainol Fadzi Paharudin to swap seats with Changkat Jong assemblyman Nadziruddin Bandi.

“The SDs call for Faizal’s position to be reviewed, or for him to be replaced by another leader.

“Many disagree with the (seating change) move because they were not informed before the official request was made in the assembly.

“The letters were given to Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin last week. Now we wait for further instructions,” he told FMT, adding that Faizal’s actions had “shamed” party president Muhyiddin Yassin.

Faizal, the Perak Perikatan Nasional chairman, previously said the request was made because Nadziruddin had recently been appointed as Perak Bersatu secretary, replacing Zainol.

However, some party members claimed the move was aimed at positioning Nadziruddin to take over as acting opposition leader, following the six-month suspension of PAS’s Razman Zakaria.

Hamzah, who is understood to have been entrusted with handling the matter, has rejected claims that the issue points to divisions within the party.

FMT has reached out to Hamzah’s aide for comment.