What is the reason for the absence of the basmalah in Surat al-Tawbah?

A message sent by one of the brothers says: Our brother, Shaykh Ali Hasan Sarur al-Shahri, asks and says: Why was the basmalah not placed at the beginning of Surat al-Tawbah, and is there any evidence we can cite? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer: Yes, Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about this, and he said that Surat al-Anfal and Surat al-Bara'ah are close in meaning, and the phrase "In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate" was not revealed between them; so Uthman and the Companions with him thought that they were one surah, so they placed them together in one place and did not place the verse "In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate" between them, because there was no evidence indicating to them that they were two surahs, so the Companions exercised caution and made them adjacent for this reason; because the Companions did not preserve the revelation of "In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate" between these two surahs. This is the well-known report narrated by the scholars from Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) when he compiled the mushaf during his caliphate (may Allah be pleased with him) . Yes.