KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 — Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid has thanked voters and supporters for giving his coalition and Perikatan Nasional the mandate to form the next Negeri Sembilan state government.
Ahmad Zahid also says the two coalitions will now turn their attention to the impending Melaka state election.
“We will have follow-up discussions between the two coalitions on the formation of the new state government based on the results announced,” he said during a press conference at Wisma Umno Negeri Sembilan tonight.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki is claiming victory for the Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional pact in the Negeri Sembilan, saying the two have unofficially secured 25 seats from the 36 being contested in today’s state election.
The two coalitions are opponents at the federal level but teamed up in last month’s Johor state election and again for today’s poll.
Asyraf said the two will jointly form the next state government.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has lost his Chennah seat while caretaker mentri besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun has failed in his bid to capture Linggi, according to the unofficial vote count.
The results are a massive blow to Pakatan Harapan.
Loke was defeated by MCA’s Siow Kong Choon by a margin of 491 votes. Aminuddin’s margin of defeat was an unequivocal 1,668 ballots.
Barisan Nasional has won Repah, Pilah, Chembong, Palong, Johol, Gemencheh, Seri Menanti, Palong, Juasseh, Pertang, Senaling, and Sungai Lui, according to the unofficial vote count.
Pakatan Harapan has taken Mambau and Lobak.
Barisan Nasional is ahead in 14 seats, based on early counting, while the allied Perikatan Nasional is also ahead in two seats. The two are in an informal pact dubbed Perikatan-Barisan Nasional (PBN) for the state poll.
Pakatan Harapan is ahead of rivals in eight seats.
Early counting has Barisan Nasional leading in 10 seats while Pakatan Harapan has the advantage in five.
Barisan Nasional has taken early leads in Repah, Seremban Jaya, and Rahang. Pakatan Harapan is in front in Bahau, Bukit Kepayang, and Mambau.
The polls have officially closed across Negeri Sembilan. After two weeks of intense campaigning, voters have cast their ballots for all 36 state seats, leaving the state on a knife-edge as the race to form the next government begins.
From the high-profile battle in Linggi to the traditional strongholds of Umno, the focus now shifts from the polling booths to the counting centres.
This election marks a volatile departure from the 2023 landscape. The unity government banner that saw Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) sweep 31 seats three years ago has vanished, replaced by a fragmented and fierce contest. With BN and PH now facing off as opponents, and Bersatu striking out on its own, a record 103 candidates have vied for power in a series of chaotic multi-cornered fights.
Beyond the state, the results will serve as a critical litmus test for the national political climate. Following the Johor election last month, all eyes are on Negeri Sembilan for signs of shifting voter sentiment and the viability of new electoral pacts.
As the first results trickle in, the state’s unique political identity and its bread-and-butter grievances will determine whether traditional loyalties hold or if a new order is emerging ahead of the next general election.
