PERIKATAN Nasional (PN) president Datuk Seri Ahmad Shamsuri has moved to contain growing signs of internal friction within the opposition coalition, stressing that decisions reached through the alliance's formal mechanisms must be respected by all member parties, regardless of differing views.
Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar has condemned the public airing of internal coalition disputes by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu following a Supreme Council meeting.
Expressing his deep regret over the disclosure, Ahmad Samsuri emphasised on Thursday that internal alliance matters should remain strictly within official channels.
"I regret that internal coalition matters were brought into the public sphere after the meeting concluded.
"Every component party has full space to voice opinions, submit objections, and defend their respective positions through the official channels of the meeting.
"PN is a political coalition that operates based on the Constitution, organisational discipline, and collective decisions. However, when a resolution has been made through the official mechanism of the coalition, all parties are obliged to respect it.
"PN cannot be used as an arena for any party to cherry-pick decisions they want to accept and dispute resolutions that do not align with their stance," he said in a statement.
The public discord erupted after Ahmad Faizal revealed that Bersatu strongly objected to PN accepting Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) as a new member, arguing that the coalition is already grappling with existing friction between component members and that adding new entities would only compound its internal difficulties.
Addressing broader alliance operations, Ahmad Samsuri confirmed that seat negotiations for the upcoming Johor State Election had been fully resolved through consensus via the official PN mechanism, with the candidate appointment letters already signed.
"Now is the time for all component parties, leadership, and the PN machinery to give their full focus to election groundwork.
"Our priority is to offer leadership with integrity, policies that defend the people, and to bring new hope for the well-being of the people of Johor," he said.
Touching on the use of the alliance logo for the Johor polls, Ahmad Samsuri stressed that the privilege comes with absolute political accountability.
He warned that any component party entrusted to contest under the PN banner must bear full responsibility for candidate selection, electoral machinery operations, campaign management, and the ultimate performance of the contested seats.
Shamsuri's response signals a determination by the coalition leadership to draw a line under the dispute and reinforce collective responsibility, as PN seeks to avoid internal divisions overshadowing its campaign message in Johor. - June 25, 2026
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