Muhyiddin under renewed pressure in Malaysia as key ally Umno considers political split

Umno said it would discuss the motion to cut ties with Muhyiddin’s Bersatu party during its general assembly at the end of this month

Umno’s top leadership is deadlocked over whether it should remain in the Perikatan Nasional coalition, and may want to force a snap election

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The coalition of Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin faces a walkout by the United Malays National Organisation. Photo: DPA

Published: 9:36pm, 7 Jan 2021Updated: 3:50pm, 8 Jan 2021

Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s political troubles aren’t over yet – just weeks after he managed to survive a knife-edge parliamentary session, his key ally and the country’s largest political party, the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), is mulling a split from his Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) ahead of potential snap elections.

Umno will be discussing the motion to cut ties with Bersatu during its general assembly at the end of January, the party’s top leadership said late Wednesday night, adding that the decision would “greatly impact the party and country‘s future”.

The looming split, say analysts, would prove disastrous for Muhyiddin’s hold on power, as Umno commands the support of the majority of the nation’s ethnic Malays, the largest voting bloc. Although Umno previously held power for over six decades as the head of the Barisan Nasional coalition, it was ousted in 2018 national elections by the Pakatan Harapan administration, which featured Muhyiddin among its leadership.

Less than two years later, however, Muhyiddin and several allies staged a political coup and set up the Perikatan Nasional government, which has been in power since March 2020.