AFTER a two-year lull, Azif Ishak’s house in Kampung Dato Sulaiman Menteri in Johor Baru is again buzzing with people.

And despite the increasing number of Covid-19 infections in the country and Johor, men and women donning party shirts are once again gathering at the retired oil rig safety consultant’s house to plot and plan another election campaign in Johor Baru.

The only difference is that they have now discarded the bright red hibiscus-motif Bersatu shirts for Pejuang’s plain white ones bearing the Jawi letter “pa” in the centre.

“Most of us, who joined Bersatu before the 2018 elections, have left and joined Pejuang after Bersatu quit Pakatan Harapan (PH),” said Azif as he served coffee and samosa to his visitors.

Azif, who joined Bersatu in 2016, said his visitors are disappointed that the party they helped in the last elections was also one of the root causes for PH’s downfall in Johor and the whole country.

“Muhyiddin Yassin’s reasons for leaving Pakatan are unacceptable,” said Azif, who was among the first to ditch Bersatu after Muhyiddin toppled PH.

To signal their support for Bersatu founder Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who later established Pejuang, Azif and many veterans had turned up at Pejuang’s first election campaign in the Slim by-election in 2020.

Muhyiddin sacrificed Johor

Azif’s friend Ahmade Mohd Din, who also quit Bersatu, said he, too, could not accept being in a party that broke PH to band with Umno.

“We are not alone,” said the 55-year-old.

“Out of the 14 Bersatu divisions in Johor Baru, only one is active now.”

As charged by Larkin incumbent Izhar Ahmad, Ahmade said Bersatu has no leaders in Johor after surrendering the state to Umno in 2020.

“To this day, the Bersatu leadership cannot answer why it had lost Kedah, Perak and Johor after the Sheraton Move.

“We can only conclude that Muhyiddin sacrificed these states so that he could be prime minister for 17 months,” said Ahmade.

Prior to the Sheraton Move in 2020, Bersatu headed the state governments of Kedah, Perak and Johor. But following its cooperation with Barisan Nasional (BN) and PAS, Muhyiddin’s party surrendered Kedah to PAS and Johor to Umno.

Less than 10 months later, Perak Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu also lost the confidence vote to BN and PH in the Perak state assembly. But Faizal was later appointed as the Youth and Sports Minister by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who replaced Muhyiddin last year.

Contesting under the PKR logo, Bersatu had won eight state seats after contesting 18 seats in the 56-seat Johor state assembly.

Despite being a newcomer to the coalition, Bersatu obtained the lion’s share of seats in Johor with DAP taking 14, and PKR getting 12 respectively.

Meanwhile, Mohamad Riadz Hashim, said he also left Bersatu following the Sheraton Move.

“It was all a lie and the whole thing was so that Muhyiddin could be prime minister,” said the former Kuala Lumpur Bersatu chief.

“My supporters would never accept being a traitor to the voters. In the 2018 elections, Bersatu got its seats and votes from Pakatan and then they turned against them,” said the 49-year-old businessman.

As to why he joined Pejuang, Riadz said he felt there is still room for a Malay party in the country.

“Our numbers may be small but I think we are a better party now after the members have been filtered twice. First through Umno and then Bersatu.

“What we have now are the real followers. Not just members on paper,” said Riadz, who services the aviation industry.

As for his old party, Riadz believes Bersatu’s future in Johor is bleak despite Muhyiddin being Pagoh MP, Bukit Gambir assemblyman and a former menteri besar in the state.

“After Bersatu began working with Umno in Johor, all Bersatu appointees were removed from the agencies and ministries. The grassroots have lost everything.

“Bersatu has no future in Johor,” said Riadz.

And in Kampung Dato Sulaiman Menteri, at least, it doesn’t look like there will be any more hibiscuses flying in the winds.

Johor will head to the polls on March 12. Nominations are fixed for February 26 and early voting on March 8. – February 17, 2022.