PERIKATAN Nasional (PN) may continue its cooperation with Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 16th General Election if their collaboration in the Negeri Sembilan state election yields positive results, PN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said.
Ahmad Samsuri said PN would evaluate the outcome of the cooperation to identify areas for improvement and strengthen future electoral strategies.
"Of course, whenever we face an election, we must always make improvements and if the results we achieve in the Negeri Sembilan state election are good, we will improve further.
"This is important so that in the next election we can achieve better results," he told reporters after announcing PN's Negeri Sembilan candidates at the PAS Kampung Ismail headquarters last night.
Also present were Parti Wawasan Negara (WAWASAN) president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (PEJUANG) president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, GERAKAN president Datuk Dr Dominic Lau and MIPP president P Punithan.
Ahmad Samsuri, who is also a PAS vice-president, said the new political alignment created through the cooperation had the potential to provide greater political stability and introduce a new direction for the country's political landscape.
He said PN did not rule out the possibility of a joint manifesto with BN for the Negeri Sembilan election.
"The machinery of both coalitions will also work together to reach out to as many voters as possible.
"The new approach to campaigning will be seen throughout the campaign period, but I cannot reveal it earlier.
"However, this is an important step, not only for Malay voters but also for voters from all communities," he said.
Ahmad Samsuri said the coalition's decision to field both new and experienced candidates from diverse backgrounds was aimed at building public confidence and demonstrating the ability to govern.
"This will provide diversity when we become the government in Negeri Sembilan," he said, adding that candidate selections were decided by the leadership of the coalition parties.
In a related comment, Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the party cannot be removed from PN unless all component parties agree to the move.
Speaking after launching Bersatu's Negeri Sembilan election manifesto, Muhyiddin said PN's constitution required consensus among all members before any party could be expelled.
"Under Perikatan's constitution, to sack any party, you must get the consensus of all members. We are still a member. If even one member does not agree, it cannot be done. That is what is in the constitution," he said.
He was responding to a claim by Parti Wawasan Negara election director Badrul Hisham Shaharin, also known as Chegubard, that Bersatu could soon be removed from PN.
Muhyiddin questioned Chegubard's authority to make such a claim.
"Who is this Chegubard? Is he a member of Perikatan's top leadership council?" he asked, adding that the activist had no authority to determine the coalition's future.
The former PN chairman said the party was not considering any such action at present as it remained focused on the Aug 1 Negeri Sembilan state election, but added that Bersatu had not ruled out reviewing its legal options.
He said Bersatu's lawyers were examining whether other parties had breached PN's constitution, including what he described as the denial of Bersatu's right to be consulted on seat allocation.
"I am not saying we will take action.
"But if we study it and find there are strong grounds, such as denying our right to be consulted on seat distribution, we will look into whether that is a violation," he said.
Bersatu is contesting the Aug 1 Negeri Sembilan election separately from the no-clash arrangement between BN and PN.
A total of 889,490 voters are eligible to cast their ballots, with early voting scheduled for July 28.
Bersatu will contest 24 of the state's 36 seats, facing BN candidates in several constituencies while PN contests 11 seats.
Pakatan Harapan will field candidates in all 36 seats. - July 26, 2026
