Kuala Lumpur – Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) regained control of its official Facebook account in the early hours of Saturday, February 15, following a nearly 15-hour disruption during which unauthorized posts attacking party president Muhyiddin Yassin were published. Access to the account was restored at 12:41 a.m. Local time, according to Bersatu Youth information chief Harris Idaham Rashid.
The breach began at 8:54 a.m. On February 14, with a total of 21 posts uploaded by an administrator who has since been removed from the account, Rashid stated. The posts reportedly focused on bolstering the image of former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin although simultaneously criticizing Muhyiddin’s leadership. One post, published on February 13, questioned Muhyiddin’s ability to lead, mockingly asking, “How can you become prime minister if you can’t even manage Facebook?”
The incident follows a period of internal turmoil within Bersatu, culminating in the dismissal of Hamzah Zainudin and 16 other party members on February 13. According to reports, four administrators are suspected of involvement in the sabotage. Harris Idaham Rashid indicated that one of these individuals was a special officer to the former deputy president.
Bersatu lodged complaints with the police, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, and Meta, the parent company of Facebook, following the unauthorized takeover. Armada Bersatu Malaysia, the party’s youth wing, played a key role in regaining control of the account, working alongside other individuals to secure its restoration. “This incident proves that there are indeed ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing and enemies within among a small number of party members,” Rashid said in a statement.
The Strait Times reported that the four administrators suspected of orchestrating the sabotage had full access to the page’s content, permissions, and administrative functions. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, but it appears directly linked to the recent expulsion of Hamzah Zainudin and his allies from the party.