Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on July 13 that Umno and PAS have not reached any final deal on seat negotiations for the upcoming Negeri Sembilan state election. He stated that discussions so far remain at a mutual understanding stage and have not been formalized into an agreement [1, 2, 3]. Zahid cautioned that statements from PAS should be treated with care, pointing out that PAS has changed positions in previous elections, such as in Johor. "Not everything that has been said should be accepted as an accurate statement because we do not have any agreement with Pas," Zahid said. "Even if there have been discussions, they are merely an understanding, and we have not finalised anything." He added, "They can change the goalposts at any time. So I view that as their political statement," and referenced Johor as an example on nomination day where PAS statements differed from reality [1, 2].
In contrast, PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang described seat negotiations with Umno as "ongoing and very positive." PAS has indicated willingness to accept an Umno candidate as Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar if cooperation is agreed upon [1, 2, 3].
The Negeri Sembilan state election is scheduled for August 1, 2026. The current composition involves Umno expected to retain 14 seats, PAS holding 3 seats, and 2 seats formerly held by Bersatu being subject to allocation between PAS and Umno [1].
Zahid made his remarks after attending an event with the TVET@KKDW contingent heading to WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, underscoring his current stance on the negotiations [1, 3].
The disagreement exposes a gap between Umno's public caution and PAS's optimistic tone. Zahid warned against relying too much on PAS's position, noting past instances of shifting stances. Meanwhile, PAS appears engaged in ongoing talks aiming at collaboration for the election.
The parties have less than a month before the election date to finalize seat arrangements or announce any formal alliance.
