KUALA LUMPUR – Bersatu has ramped up preparations for the Johor state election, pressing ahead with component partners and the Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat alliance as Perikatan Nasional (PN) grapples with leadership inertia.
The move comes after PN’s top leadership failed to convene a strategy meeting more than two weeks since the dissolution of the state assembly.
Bersatu vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said the party could not afford to remain idle while waiting for PAS, warning that hesitation only benefits rivals.
“Bersatu has already mobilised its machinery and gone to the ground. In fact, our secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali has begun touring Johor and Negri Sembilan. We are moving together with other component parties. If PN continues to hesitate and fails to make a decision, thereby creating opportunities for our opponents, that is its approach. We cannot wait for others,” he told NST.
Faizal confirmed Bersatu has begun engaging with Muda and Pejuang, while Parti Wawasan Negara (Wawasan), led by Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, has announced plans to contest in Johor and Negri Sembilan.
Meanwhile, Bersatu information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz urged PAS to contest under its own logo rather than PN’s, accusing the party of undermining coalition partners.
“It would be better if, after ending its relationship with Bersatu, PAS and Wawasan contested under their own logos rather than appearing to sabotage component parties. It would be more honest and responsible to contest using their own identities rather than continue using the PN brand while simultaneously weakening the very foundation of the coalition,” he said.
Tun Faisal further alleged PAS’ actions contradicted PN’s constitution and Supreme Council decisions, eroding the coalition’s image.
“The failure to resolve internal coalition issues has created uncertainty among members, supporters and the election machinery,” he added. – June 16, 2026