Barisan Nasional (BN) has finalized its seat negotiations with Pakatan Harapan (PH) for the upcoming Sabah state election, confirming there will be no clash between the two coalitions.
The announcement was made by BN chairman and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who also confirmed that no direct talks have been held with the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition.
“We have finalized our seat distribution with PH, and we respect the cooperation between PH and GRS,” Zahid was quoted as saying by Berita Harian. “However, there have been no direct negotiations between BN and GRS.”
Zahid conceded that multi-cornered contests are unavoidable in many constituencies, given the high number of parties planning to participate in the election.
“It will be a case of ‘the more, the merrier.’ That’s the political landscape in Sabah,” he said. “What’s guaranteed is that BN and PH will not clash. We have finalized that.”
Despite Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s urging for unity, BN and GRS have maintained their separate stances. PH has reached separate electoral pacts with both GRS and BN, while BN’s Sabah chapter previously stated that any form of cooperation with GRS would only be considered after the state polls, which must be held by January 2026.
In the current Sabah state assembly, PH is part of the state government alongside GRS, while BN sits in the opposition with Warisan.
