PETALING JAYA: Bersatu will remain with Perikatan Nasional and contest the upcoming Johor and Negri Sembilan state elections under the coalition's logo, says Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The Bersatu president said the party leadership unanimously reaffirmed the decision that Bersatu, as one of Perikatan founding parties, would not be sidelined.
"We will continue to remain in Perikatan. Since the beginning, we were the ones who started this movement," Muhyiddin told reporters after chairing a three-hour supreme council meeting at the party headquarters on Tuesday (June 16) night.
Muhyiddin also said Bersatu could not be removed from Perikatan unilaterally, saying any decision must be based on consensus in line with the coalition's constitution.
He also said Bersatu would contest in Johor and Negri Sembilan under the Perikatan logo, adding that preparations for the upcoming state elections were already underway.
"We have identified several seats in Johor and Negri Sembilan. We are confident, God willing, with organised machinery, we can achieve victory," he said.
Muhyiddin also said Bersatu would launch its election machinery for Johor on July 21, 2026, at 8pm in Bakri.
He said about 80% of candidates for the coming polls have already been finalised.
On relations within Perikatan, Muhyiddin expressed disappointment that no formal coalition meeting had been convened despite recent developments, including PAS' decision to end political cooperation with Bersatu.
"We were not informed or invited to attend any Perikatan meeting. If there is no meeting, then decisions cannot be made properly," he said.
He added that Bersatu had also not been briefed on any official Perikatan discussions on election preparations.
Muhyiddin said Bersatu had previously attempted to engage PAS through formal channels but said responses were inconsistent before PAS eventually decided to end cooperation.
"We sent letters and sought clarification on several matters. We were prepared to discuss but unfortunately decisions were made very quickly," he said.
Despite the setback, Muhyiddin said Bersatu remained open to cooperation with other Perikatan component parties.
