Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has dismissed suggestions that the party’s differences with Pakatan Harapan (PH) in several state elections indicate a lack of support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at Federal level.
He said individual parties within the Unity Government were entitled to pursue different political positions at state level, particularly when contesting elections.
Ahmad Zahid acknowledged that BN and PH were not aligned in Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka, but stressed that such differences did not affect their cooperation in the Federal Government.
“There is no issue of us not supporting Datuk Seri Anwar’s leadership at Federal level,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after an engagement session with the Melaka Village Development and Security Committees (JPKK) 2026 in Ayer Molek on Thursday.
Ahmad Zahid was responding to DAP national chairman Gobind Singh Deo, who challenged him to resign as Deputy Prime Minister if he no longer supported the current government’s leadership, instead of calling for Parliament to be dissolved earlier.
Gobind had described Ahmad Zahid’s remarks as inappropriate, particularly given that he holds the second-highest position in the country’s administration.
Responding to the challenge, Ahmad Zahid maintained that BN ministers had never opposed the Unity Government’s policies or disagreed with Anwar during Cabinet meetings.
He said all Cabinet members had witnessed this, adding that Gobind should follow the example of DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, who recently stepped down as Transport Minister.
“Do not behave like someone who regrets resigning after having left the position. We do not want that kind of behaviour,” he said.
In a separate development, Ahmad Zahid described BN’s cooperation with Perikatan Nasional (PN) in Melaka as a positive working relationship, expressing hope that it would translate into stronger support from voters, including the non-Malay community.
He said the cooperation could help unite the two parties, which had been political rivals for more than five decades.
BN and PN had previously attempted similar cooperation in Negeri Sembilan, while the Melaka state election marked their second effort to work together.
