Bersatu appears to have suffered its third consecutive election wipeout after failing to win any of the 24 seats it contested in the Negeri Sembilan state election, following similar defeats in Johor and Sabah.
The party, led by Muhyiddin Yassin, fielded candidates in two-thirds of the state assembly seats after breaking away from the PAS-led Perikatan Nasional, which entered into an electoral understanding with Barisan Nasional.
As a result, Bersatu faced direct contests against fellow PN component parties PAS and Wawasan in eight constituencies, while avoiding clashes with other PN-linked parties, Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party.
Existing seats lost as support weakens
Unofficial results showed Bersatu lost both of its incumbent seats, Labu and Gemas, to BN and PN respectively.
The party also failed to make meaningful gains in constituencies such as Sikamat, Temiang, Rahang and Seremban Jaya. In those seats, Bersatu candidates trailed well behind their rivals and were expected to lose their election deposits.
Expected vote split fails to materialise
Ahead of polling, political observers had anticipated Bersatu’s participation would split the Malay vote in several marginal constituencies, potentially benefiting Pakatan Harapan.
However, the anticipated impact did not materialise, as Bersatu candidates made little dent in the vote majorities secured by BN and PN.
The disappointing performance marks a significant setback for Bersatu, which had sought to demonstrate its electoral strength after PAS decided to cooperate with BN in the Negeri Sembilan state election.
