KUALA LUMPUR – Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) has opted out of the Negeri Sembilan state election following its disappointing debut in Johor, where it failed to win a single seat, choosing instead to focus its efforts on the expected Melaka polls.
The party, which fielded 15 candidates in the Johor election but came away empty-handed, said it would not contest the Aug 1 Negeri Sembilan election as it believes its resources would be better utilised in Melaka.
In a statement today, Bersama said the political landscape in Negeri Sembilan would be far more challenging than Johor’s, citing the direct contest between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN), as well as broader political considerations.
“Taking these factors into account, together with our time and resource constraints, Bersama believes it is more strategic to shift our focus to the Melaka state election, which is expected to be held several months from now,” the party said.
It also pointed to the wider implications surrounding the Negeri Sembilan election, including issues related to the dispute involving the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan and the state’s Undangs.
“Therefore, Bersama will not participate in the Negeri Sembilan state election and will instead devote its full attention to preparing for the Melaka state election,” it added.
The party said preparations for Melaka would begin immediately, with an initial meeting scheduled for July 21 to identify target constituencies and begin screening prospective candidates.
“An initial preparation meeting for the Melaka state election will be held on July 21 to identify constituencies and begin screening potential candidates so they can be announced earlier,” the statement said.
Bersama also thanked its members and volunteers who had been prepared to campaign in Negeri Sembilan despite still recovering from the demands of the Johor election.
“We express our deepest appreciation to Bersama members and volunteers who were ready to be mobilised for the Negeri Sembilan state election, even though the exhaustion from the Johor campaign has yet to subside,” it said.
Negeri Sembilan voters will head to the polls on Aug 1, with nomination day set for July 18 and early voting on July 28.
Attention is now turning to Melaka, which is widely expected to be the next state to hold an election. The current state legislative assembly’s term expires at the end of December unless it is dissolved earlier. – July 16, 2026