KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 — Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin has pushed back against calls for his party to leave Perikatan Nasional (PN), arguing that PAS — not Bersatu — should be the one to step away from the coalition after choosing to end political cooperation between the two parties.
FMT reported Muhyiddin saying said Bersatu, as a co‑founder of PN, could not be forced out of the coalition and retained every right to remain. “If a party decides to cut ties, it is usually the one that leaves the coalition,” he said, pointing to PAS’s past withdrawal from Pakatan Rakyat and Bersatu’s own exit from Pakatan Harapan.
Muhyiddin likened the situation to disagreements within a shared “house”, saying it was illogical to demand that Bersatu vacate the coalition when PAS was the party that initiated the split. He added that PAS appeared keen to hold on to PN’s value and was instead attempting to push Bersatu out.
PAS ended its cooperation with Bersatu early last month, though both remain PN components. The coalition, now chaired by PAS vice‑president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, has since admitted two new members — Pejuang and Parti Wawasan Negara, led by former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin.
Tensions between PAS and Bersatu have been visible on the ground. Although both parties contested under the PN banner in the July 11 Johor polls, PAS chose not to campaign for Bersatu, and the coalition was wiped out in the state. Ahead of the Aug 1 Negeri Sembilan election, PAS‑led PN struck a seat‑avoidance pact with Barisan Nasional, allocating 25 seats to BN and 11 to PN. Bersatu rejected the arrangement and opted to run under its own banner in 24 seats, creating eight direct clashes with PN.
Muhyiddin also reiterated that he intends to step down as Bersatu president when his term ends next year, saying the party needs renewal and fresh leadership. Although he previously announced he would not defend the presidency at the 2023 general assembly, he later stayed on after delegates urged him to continue for another term.