Former Malaysian prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin to step down as opposition leader from January 2026

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced on 30 December 2025 that he will resign as chairman of the opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional, effective 1 January 2026.

The decision ends his five-year leadership of the bloc since its formation in 2020.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Muhyiddin thanked members of the coalition’s leadership for their support during his tenure.

He said he wished the Perikatan Nasional leadership and its component parties well.

Muhyiddin, 78, did not state the reasons for his resignation.

However, the move comes amid heightened political tensions within the coalition, particularly following a leadership crisis in the northeastern state of Perlis.

Perikatan Nasional was formed in February 2020 and is led primarily by Parti Islam Se-Malaysia and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia. Muhyiddin remains the president of Bersatu, one of the coalition’s core parties.

The Perlis crisis saw PAS assemblyman Mohd Shukri Ramli resign as chief minister after losing majority support in the state assembly. Bersatu assemblyman Abu Bakar Hamzah was subsequently appointed to replace him.

Shukri’s resignation followed the signing of eight statutory declarations by state assemblymen. Three were from PAS and five from Bersatu, all retracting their support for him as chief minister.

Perlis has 15 seats in its state assembly.

Three PAS assemblymen involved in the episode were later sacked by the Islamist party. PAS now holds six seats, Bersatu five, and Parti Keadilan Rakyat one.

Beyond Perlis, Muhyiddin has faced increasing pressure over his leadership of Bersatu. Political observers previously told Channel NewsAsia that some of his former loyalists had called on him to step aside as party president.

The calls have included suggestions that deputy president Hamzah Zainuddin, 68, should take over the party’s leadership. The issue has underscored deeper divisions within Bersatu.

In September 2025, Bersatu’s annual general meeting unanimously endorsed Muhyiddin as its prime ministerial candidate for the next general election. The election must be held by February 2028.

Despite the endorsement, the meeting was marked by open dissent. Some delegates publicly heckled Muhyiddin and called for him to step down as party president, highlighting unease within the grassroots.

Addressing delegates at the meeting, Muhyiddin criticised attempts to “topple the president” through the collection of statutory declarations. He said such actions were against Bersatu’s constitution.

Days later, PAS signalled reluctance to back Muhyiddin as Perikatan Nasional’s prime ministerial candidate.

According to a report by Free Malaysia Today, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang cited age and health as considerations.

Abdul Hadi, who is also 78, said the party would prefer a candidate who was healthy and under 70 years old.

He later clarified that his remarks were not aimed at any individual.

He added that he had been referring to himself and PAS spiritual leader Hashim Jasin, 86, as examples of leaders who were too old for the role.

Muhyiddin’s leadership had also come under scrutiny in 2023, when he reversed an earlier decision not to defend his presidency at Bersatu’s internal party polls. He later said advice from his wife had influenced the change.

Muhyiddin served as Malaysia’s eighth prime minister from March 2020 to August 2021. His term coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and significant political instability.

In November 2025, the High Court ruled that his corruption trial would begin in early March 2026.

He faces charges of abuse of power and soliciting bribes totalling RM232.5 million, equivalent to about US$57.4 million.

Following his resignation announcement, PAS confirmed it would put forward a candidate to take over as Perikatan Nasional chairman. The party’s information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said this in a Facebook post.

Ahmad Fadhli, who is also the Pasir Mas member of parliament, said the proposed candidate must be capable of uniting and mobilising the strengths of all parties within the coalition.

He said the candidate did not necessarily have to be PAS president. Instead, the priority was selecting someone trusted to lead and coordinate the coalition effectively.

Ahmad Fadhli added that Perikatan Nasional would undergo organisational restructuring. He said greater emphasis would be placed on grassroots mobilisation and party machinery ahead of the 16th general election.

He described Muhyiddin’s decision to relinquish the chairmanship as wise and timely. According to Ahmad Fadhli, the coalition needs fresh momentum as it prepares for the coming electoral contest.