Internal dissent rooted in structural political flaws, say analysts

PETALING JAYA: Internal party dissent that escalates into calls to sack leaders is rarely one-dimensional, but fundamentally structural, according to political analysts.

“The root cause of internal dissent in Malaysia is the structure of our political landscape,” said Pacific Research Centre of Malaysia principal adviser Dr Oh Ei Sun.

Oh said party systems in Malaysia are highly centralised, with presidents and top leadership wielding enormous authority, particularly over candidate selection in general elections.

“Party leaders wield immense power, controlling nominations and effectively ending the careers of those who fall out of favour,” he told theSun.

He contrasted this with the system in the United States, where political parties function primarily as electoral machines and politicians appeal directly to voters and grassroots members to secure nominations and advance their ambitions.

Oh said the fallout involving Khairy Jamaluddin in Umno, the purging of deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin and his followers from Bersatu and the ongoing tensions between PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his former deputy Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli all reflect a similar pattern. These conflicts illustrate a combination of policy divergence, leadership style, succession planning and competition over party machinery.

Similarly, political analyst Dr Mohammad Tawfik Yaakub said loyalty to a party’s top leaders and the dominant voice within the organisation remains the overriding principle in Malaysian party politics.

The senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science, Public Administration and Development Studies, Universiti Malaya, said any action perceived as challenging these two pillars – whether driven by ideological differences, strategic disagreements or personality conflicts – can quickly escalate into calls for expulsion.

“In Malaysian party politics, loyalty to the top leader and the dominant voice within the party is paramount. Any move that runs counter to these – including actions by individuals or factions with differing ideologies, strategies or personal rivalries – can lead to demands for dismissal,” he said.

“When leaders such as Khairy and Hamzah positioned themselves against the number one leader, it was bound to spark confrontation. They may have believed their actions were justified and supported by the majority, potentially paving the way for leadership transition.”

However, he stressed that Malay political culture has long been shaped by patronage networks that reinforce the authority of party presidents.

“Anyone can claim their struggle is genuine. The real question is who controls the party. In Malay party politics, one can raise any issue, but if it cannot compete with the entrenched patronage of the top leader, efforts to unseat that leader will not succeed.”

Also agreeing to the sentiment, Asia Group Advisers associate director Kamles Kumar said that purging leaders in a party is often framed as being driven by ideals, but more often than not it is a strategic contest over control of party machinery, electoral positioning and succession.

Kamles said ideology frequently serves as the public justification, while personality clashes act as the catalyst.

“Ultimately, many of these disputes serve personal political agendas,” he said.

Referring to the fallout in Malaysian parties, Kamles said such conflicts are typically framed around reform, discipline, accountability or unity.

“Beneath the surface, however, they tend to revolve around who controls candidate selection, financial resources and the party’s direction ahead of elections. When leaders are seen as electorally weakening the party or narrowing access to internal power structures, dissent quickly escalates.”

On Umno specifically, he said the episode involving Khairy reflected a recalibration of internal alignments.

“It was clear that Khairy and his allies were opposed to (Umno President) Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s leadership earlier on. Now, many have come to terms with the reality that Ahmad Zahid remains powerful within the party and are making amends accordingly,” he said, referring to Khairy’s speculated return to Umno after he made an appearance in Umno’s last general assembly.

In a significant shake-up of the Malaysian opposition front, Bersatu has expelled its deputy president and Opposition Leader Hamzah, along with 16 other party members, effective Feb 13 following months of intense internal power struggle between the Larut MP and party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

 The Sun Malaysia