Barisan Nasional (BN) will leave Malaysia’s unity government once Parliament is dissolved, BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said, signalling that the coalition’s participation in the current administration will end with the present parliamentary term.
Zahid said BN had joined the unity government following the 15th General Election in 2022 and would honour that commitment until Parliament is dissolved.
“Once Parliament is dissolved, we will no longer be with them. This is our promise,” he said in his keynote address at the 18th annual general assembly of Parti Makkal Sakti Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
He said the decision to remain in government had been made following the 2022 election and described the commitment as a promise to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, formalised through the formation of the unity government.
At the same time, Zahid stressed that BN’s participation in the coalition did not mean giving up its political identity or positions.
The remarks come as BN and Umno sharpen their focus on the next general election. Zahid has previously called for the 16th General Election to be held as soon as possible, while Umno has continued to debate the future of its cooperation within the unity government.
Astro Awani reported that Zahid had earlier reaffirmed Umno’s commitment to remain in the unity government until the end of the current parliamentary term, while also acknowledging differences among the parties forming the administration.
Under Zahid’s latest position, BN’s participation in the unity government is therefore tied to the lifespan of the current Parliament. Any continuation of the political arrangement beyond the next dissolution would depend on the outcome of the next general election and subsequent coalition negotiations.
