Faizal slams ‘betrayal’ as PN faces fresh turmoil

Bersatu Vice-President Ahmad Faizal Azumu expressed disappointment, anger, shame, and betrayal over the current turmoil within the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition. In a Facebook post, Faizal alleged that unnamed leaders were betraying someone who once held the highest position, a reference likely to the PN leadership crisis.

Faizal recounted how the previous leader was respected, shared power and benefits, and experienced the feeling of being in power. However, once the leader faced challenges, the same individuals became arrogant, betrayed their promises, and blamed others while refusing to accept their own faults.

Faizal also criticized those who failed to acknowledge their mistakes and pointed fingers at others for the issues plaguing the coalition. He urged a more balanced approach, where individuals take responsibility for their actions rather than making false accusations.

The unrest in PN intensified following Bersatu President Muhyiddin Yassin's decision to step down as the coalition's chairman earlier this year. The split between Bersatu and PAS occurred soon after PAS assumed the PN chairmanship in February through Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, PAS's vice-president.

Muhyiddin claimed the split was due to deep-rooted tensions over seat negotiations, electoral pacts, and accusations that Bersatu was being sidelined. Consequently, Bersatu was excluded from critical PN Supreme Council meetings, leading to an official complaint to the Registrar of Societies (RoS) over alleged violations of coalition rules.

Today, the RoS announced it had suspended PN and issued a notice to cancel its registration, provided PN meets a 30-day deadline to explain its actions. The RoS took the measure under the Societies Act 1966, following a complaint from Bersatu regarding a PN meeting held on July 16. PN Secretary-General Takiyuddin Hassan stated that the coalition did not rule out the possibility of political pressure being a factor in the RoS's decision. PN vowed to defend itself through legal channels if necessary.