New: Zahid wants early General Election

PETALING JAYA, Sept 3, 2026 — Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno are pressing Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to call the 16th General Election (GE16) ahead of schedule, rather than waiting for Parliament’s automatic dissolution at the end of next year. BN chairman and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said an early election would be “better,” though the coalition is prepared if Anwar opts to complete the full five-year term.

“In my view, it would be better for GE16 to be held earlier,” Zahid was quoted as saying by Berita Harian. He stressed that BN must prepare by addressing public concerns to remain politically relevant.

On working with PH or the PAS-led Perikatan Nasional, Zahid said his coalition must first weigh the pros and cons.

“We were willing to go solo in the Johor state election because of the political landscape there, but in Negeri Sembilan, we felt forming an alliance would be more beneficial.

“We have to consider the pros and cons of different potential allies. We want to see the political profit and loss account, whether we would be in the black or in the red.

Early General Election

“Political gains are what we are calculating in determining negotiations,” he said.

The current federal government term ends in December 2027, with GE16 required by February 2028 at the latest. BN, a key component of Anwar’s unity government, backed Pakatan Harapan (PH) after the 2022 polls produced a hung Parliament.

Asked whether BN preferred working with PH or Perikatan Nasional (PN), Zahid said the coalition must weigh “the pros and cons.” He explained, “We want to see the political profit and loss account, whether we would be in the black or in the red.”

Zahid also noted grassroots calls for Malay political unity, hinting at cooperation with PAS, but emphasized Malaysia’s diversity must remain the foundation. “Therefore, we make that a priority in pursuing alliances. But we must also acknowledge that our nation’s diversity must be our foundation as we navigate the increasingly complex political landscape,” he said.

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