MOHAMED Azmin Ali’s plan to form his own political party has hit a roadblock following delays in approval by the authorities, sources told The Malaysian Insight.

They alleged the Registrar of Societies (RoS) was delaying registration of the party, to be modelled after PKR, a multiracial party.

They added that the delay in approval was also due to Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainuddin, the home minister who oversees the RoS, not wanting to further break his party apart.

“They do not want to lose the numbers in Bersatu. If Azmin forms his own party, what guarantee is there others won’t follow him?” a source told The Malaysian Insight.

He also said Bersatu president and Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was not agreeable to the idea of Azmin forming a new party to attract more defections from PKR.

He added that Muhyiddin would prefer Azmin’s new party to take shape after the general election, which many claim will be held before the end of the year.

“The prime minister is not supportive of having another party before the election. This will complicate seat negotiations and division of machinery,” the source said.

Azmin and 10 other MPs had defected from PKR in February, and paved the way for Muhyiddin to become prime minister under a new ruling pact with the support of Barisan Nasional, PAS and Gabungan Parti Sarawak.

Whispers, however, continue to grow that Azmin, who is one of four senior ministers in Muhyiddin’s cabinet, wants to form his own party to accommodate his non-Malay support base.

Another source told The Malaysian Insight the party structure was already in place, and that Azmin had set up a youth movement as a support base for the party.

The new youth entity is called Pemuda Negara, led by Azmin’s closest allies – his political secretary Hilman Idham and Seberang Jaya assemblyman Dr Afif Bahardin.

Pemuda Negara has also appointed state coordinators comprising former PKR leaders as well as Malaysian Crime Watch Task Force chairman R. Sri Sanjeevan.

It has also appointed 222 coordinators to oversee each parliamentary constituency.

New party just a rumour

Afif, however, told The Malaysian Insight Pemuda Negara was a platform to reach out to youth and gather support for the new Perikatan Nasional government.

“We met with the prime minister last week. This is a youth platform to gain the support of young Malaysians for the government. We are not a political party,” he said.

Afif said in the two months since the outfit was formed, they have gathered more than 7,700 members.

Bersatu sources told The Malaysian Insight that Azmin, who is PN’s chief whip, was a party member but his registration has been suspended until the end of party polls slated for later this year.

Hilman, who is also Gombak Setia assemblyman, quashed claims of a new party, and blamed Pakatan Harapan for stoking the rumour.

“These are all rumours by PH. We are happy with our current situation,” he said.

PKR sacked Azmin and former vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin in February for their betrayal to the party and causing the downfall of the PH government. – July 4, 2020.