Muhyiddin Yassin’s decision to step down as Perikatan Nasional chairman from Jan 1, 2026, is less a graceful exit than an admission that his grip has finally slipped.

After more than five years at the helm, the former prime minister leaves behind a coalition he can no longer control and a party he can no longer discipline. The succession is expected to come from PAS, with growing calls for Abdul Hadi Awang to assume the chairmanship. If that happens, it will formalise what has long been obvious. PAS is the dominant force in PN, while Bersatu has been reduced to ballast.

Muhyiddin’s authority has been eroding for some time. Internal pressure from Hamzah Zainuddin’s camp exposed how fragile his leadership had become. But the Perlis crisis accelerated everything. PAS’s Shukri Ramli stepping down as menteri besar, only to be replaced by Bersatu’s Abu Bakar Hamzah, detonated trust within the coalition.

The reaction from PAS was swift and angry. Leaders such as Ahmad Fadhli Shaari and Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden openly accused Bersatu of betrayal. Afnan went further, arguing that PAS should take over PN entirely, citing Bersatu’s weakness and unreliability. Few inside PN seriously dispute that assessment anymore.

Bersatu under Muhyiddin has failed at the most basic task of leadership: keeping its elected representatives in line. Defections, suspensions and sackings have become routine, signalling not strength but decay. Discipline has collapsed, credibility has thinned, and confidence from allies has evaporated.

Muhyiddin’s exit therefore reads as a pre-emptive move, stepping aside before being forced out. It also likely marks the end of his political relevance. Once the central figure of PN, he now leaves as a liability quietly removed.

For Bersatu, the implications are bleak. With PAS consolidating power and openly questioning the value of the alliance, the party faces an existential choice. Continue as a weakened junior partner, or dissolve its identity entirely by merging into PAS ahead of the next general election.

Either way, Muhyiddin’s departure confirms a hard truth for PN. The coalition has entered a new phase, one where PAS sets the terms and Bersatu pays the price for years of incoherence, internal conflict and failed leadership.