The Malaysian ruling coalition faced a significant setback in the Negeri Sembilan state election held on Saturday, August 3, 2026, marking its third consecutive defeat in eight months. Pakatan Harapan (PH) won 11 of the 36 state seats, a decline from 17 seats in 2023. Barisan Nasional (BN) secured 18 seats, while its electoral partner Perikatan Nasional (PN) took seven.

This defeat follows PH’s near-wipeout in the Sabah state election last November, where it won only one of 20 seats, and a heavy loss in Johor three weeks ago, securing just eight seats against BN’s 48. These losses have become a national issue for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, whose coalition assumed power after the inconclusive 2022 general election by partnering with BN, a former rival bloc.

The defeat was particularly damaging for the Democratic Action Party (DAP), PH’s largest party, as its chief Anthony Loke lost his seat in Chennah, which he had represented for 13 years. The poor performance in Negeri Sembilan is forcing the coalition to reconsider the challenges of governing alongside former opponents.

Sources

South China Morning Post World, Three strikes, DAP’s out? Loss in Malaysia’s third state poll rattles coalition