KUALA LUMPUR – The outcome of the Negeri Sembilan state election has emerged as a warning sign for Pakatan Harapan (PH), with political analysts saying the coalition must reassess its approach after suffering setbacks in key constituencies while Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) made significant gains.
Political analyst and geostrategist Dr Azmi Hassan said BN’s performance was largely expected, but PN’s strong showing in the state was the more notable development.
“Well, it’s not that surprising Barisan National so far secured 18 seats. The surprise news is that Perikatan National, who did very well,” he said speaking to Scoop.
Azmi said the results reflected growing dissatisfaction with the PH-led administration and suggested that voter concerns may extend beyond Negeri Sembilan to the national level.
“It represents the rejection of Pakatan Harapan-led government, not only in Negeri Sembilan, but also most probably something is not right at the national level,” he added.
He said PH must review its political strategy following a series of disappointing results, adding that the Negeri Sembilan polls offered a clearer indication of the coalition’s current challenges compared with previous state elections.
“Maybe Johor doesn’t really reflect a real signal, but Negeri Sembilan really reflect a signal if something’s not right with Pakatan as a whole, not only at the state level, Negeri Sembilan, and maybe in Selangor, but also at the national level,” he explained.
Azmi said the losses indicated that some Malay voters had shifted their support towards BN and PN.
“And if we have looked at Anthony Loke’s loss in Chennah and also Aminuddin Harun, I think it’s a wrong strategy moving from Sikamat to Linggi in this particular case, because Linggi, the majority of the voters are Malay voters and they are comfortable with Barisan National,” he said.
Azmi said MCA’s performance should not be dismissed despite the party’s recent electoral struggles.
“Yes, DAP suffered another blow, starting from Sabah, then Johor and now Negeri Sembilan. Although MCA only managed to wrest two DAP-held seats, it is still a feat that many did not think was possible,” he said.
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) School of Social Sciences lecturer Prof Datuk Dr Sivamurugan Pandian shared a similar assessment, saying the outcome was not simply a rejection of PH but also reflected a broader shift among Malay voters, with BN regaining some support previously captured by PN.
“BN benefited from better coordination and machinery, while PH appears to have struggled to retain parts of its previous support base,” he said speaking to Scoop.
The defeats of DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke in Chennah and Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun in Linggi were also identified as major setbacks for PH.
Pandian said the defeats carried symbolic importance as they involved senior PH figures at both national and state levels.
“However, I would not immediately argue that Loke should resign. The more important issue is political accountability and strategic review,” he said, adding that Loke would need to explain why DAP’s strong incumbency and national profile failed to translate into electoral support.
The analysts also highlighted MCA’s victory over DAP in two constituencies as another significant development from the polls.
Dr Pandian said the results suggested that some Chinese voters were prepared to reconsider their traditional support for DAP when faced with a credible BN alternative.
“The bigger issue for DAP is not simply losing seats. It is whether the party is beginning to face voter fatigue, performance dissatisfaction and a disconnect between national leadership and constituency-level concerns,” he said.
Looking ahead to the 16th General Election (GE16), Dr Pandian said the Negeri Sembilan outcome should serve as a serious warning for PH, although it does not spell the coalition’s downfall.
“This is a serious warning, but not yet a death sentence for PH,” he said.
He added that PH’s key challenges would be rebuilding Malay support, strengthening grassroots operations and ensuring that federal government performance translates into electoral backing.
BN and PN are set to form the next Negeri Sembilan government after securing a combined two-thirds majority in the state election. BN won 18 seats while PN captured seven, giving the coalition partners a total of 25 seats in the 36-member state assembly.
BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said both coalitions would hold further discussions on the formation of the new state government. – August 2, 2026