Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) has confirmed that it will not contest in the upcoming Negeri Sembilan State Election (PRN), choosing instead to concentrate on preparations for the Melaka State Election.
The decision was announced through a joint statement issued on Wednesday by Bersama representatives Rafizi Ramli, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and Syukri Razab.
According to the statement, the party’s decision was made after considering several factors, including the expected intense competition between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) in Negeri Sembilan, as well as PH’s position as the state government.
The party also viewed the Negeri Sembilan election as one that could have an impact on current political developments, including issues involving the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan’s institution.
“Taking into account these factors, along with time and resource constraints, Bersama believes it is more strategic to shift its focus towards the Melaka State Election, which will be held in the coming months.
“Therefore, Bersama will not participate in the Negeri Sembilan State Election to give full attention to preparations for the Melaka State Election,” the statement said.
Bersama said an initial preparation meeting for the Melaka election would be held on July 21 to identify potential seats to contest and begin the candidate screening process, with the aim of announcing its candidates earlier.
The party will also organise an appreciation event for volunteers who contributed during the Johor State Election this Sunday at its headquarters in Puchong, followed by a joint viewing session of the World Cup final.
Rafizi, Nik Nazmi and Syukri also expressed appreciation to members and volunteers who were ready to be deployed for the Negeri Sembilan election despite still recovering from the Johor campaign.
They said the longer preparation period would allow Bersama to strengthen its strategy and make more thorough preparations for the Melaka election while considering various political factors.
The party also wished voters in Negeri Sembilan a smooth polling process and expressed hope of meeting them again during the 16th General Election (GE16).
