Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has rejected claims by Perikatan Nasional (PN) information chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa that his party had voluntarily chosen to distance itself from the coalition ahead of the Negeri Sembilan state election.
In a statement on Facebook, Muhyiddin said Bersatu remained a legitimate component member of PN and claimed the party had instead been sidelined by the coalition it helped establish.
He alleged that negotiations involving seat allocations between Bersatu and other PN component parties for the Negeri Sembilan polls were stopped without reasonable justification.
Muhyiddin also claimed Bersatu was not invited to attend the PN Supreme Council special meeting that finalised the distribution of seats among coalition members.
Previously, Annuar said Bersatu’s decision to contest the Negeri Sembilan election using its own logo showed that the party had chosen to part ways with PN voluntarily.
He said PN leaders had already been informed about Bersatu’s intention to form a separate political platform before the announcement was made.
Muhyiddin, however, said Bersatu’s decision to use its own logo did not mean the party had left PN, adding that no final decision had been made regarding its membership in the coalition.
He also criticised PAS for engaging in discussions with Barisan Nasional (BN) over possible cooperation without first consulting all PN component parties or receiving approval from the coalition’s Supreme Council.
PN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar later dismissed the accusation, saying he had approved the discussions with BN and that the matters were eventually presented and endorsed by the Supreme Council.
Responding to the issue, Muhyiddin said he did not object to negotiations with other parties but stressed that major policy decisions should first receive approval from the PN Supreme Council.
He described the process as the wrong approach, claiming discussions were conducted before being presented to the coalition’s highest decision-making body.
Muhyiddin also accused PAS of shifting towards cooperation with BN, saying the move represented a change in political strategy rather than an effort to strengthen Malay unity.
He said Bersatu would continue moving forward independently while maintaining its commitment to its political struggle for Malaysia and its people.
