The former Bersatu deputy president and opposition leader was sacked from the party on Friday, along with 16 other party leaders aligned with him.
“Now that Hamzah is out, Muhyiddin is on his own, and I doubt he has a good relationship with PAS,” Syaza Shukri of the International Islamic University of Malaysia told FMT.
Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia also said that the purging of Hamzah and his allies from Bersatu would create unease in PAS about Bersatu and Muhyiddin himself, “since PAS is obviously close with Hamzah”.
“PAS has had many disputes with Muhyiddin. I am sure Hamzah’s sacking did not have PAS’s blessing. Muhyiddin may not (enjoy) better cooperation from PAS in the future,” he said.
On Saturday, Hamzah told a gathering of his allies that he would not appeal against his sacking, and encouraged them to join his cause for a “reset” of their agenda. He also launched a blistering attack against Muhyiddin, declaring himself the Bersatu leader’s “number one enemy”
Will Hamzah join PAS?
Syaza said it is possible that Hamzah will join the Islamic party. The photograph he posted of him meeting PAS leaders shortly after his sacking, appears to be a sign that he no longer needs his former party, as he now has options, she said. He is more likely to join PAS than Umno.
Syaza said Hamzah’s meeting with PAS shows that the party is much more comfortable working with his faction than with Muhyiddin. “I think it is because there’s more of a sense of deference (from Hamzah’s faction) towards Hadi,” she said.
The photograph posted on his Facebook page shows Hamzah at Masjid Rusila in Marang, Terengganu, with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan and assistant secretary-general Syahir Sulaiman.
Takiyuddin has dismissed speculation that PAS is aligned with any faction in Bersatu, insisting that PAS is staying clear of the internal crisis. The Perikatan Nasional chief whip also said that Hamzah would continue to serve as opposition leader, since he remains an opposition MP.
Hamzah said during the Saturday gathering that several options are open to his faction, including forming a new party or an “old party in a new house”. He said any decisions on whether they would continue within PN or form a new alignment would be made collectively.
Mazlan speculated that PAS may support Hamzah forming a new party, which could replace Bersatu as a partner.
He said the subtle remarks by PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari and treasurer Iskandar Abdul Samad against Bersatu, following Hamzah’s sacking, show that PAS is tiring of its relationship with Muhyiddin. “PAS is (now) hoping for a new alignment or partnership led by Hamzah,” he said.
On Friday, Fadhli said in a brief Facebook post that it was difficult to live with “noisy neighbours”, under a picture of a man covering his ears with a pillow as two neighbours quarrel. Iskandar said in another post that a “ship in turmoil cannot lead an armada, especially when it is sinking”.