The short answer
Bersatu was created by former UMNO leaders in 2016, joined PH for its historic GE14 victory and then left the coalition in 2020. Muhyiddin Yassin became prime minister and built PN, but by 2026 Bersatu’s relationship with PAS and its formal PN status were under active dispute.
Coalition chronology
Bersatu’s changing political alignment
The party moved from PH government to PN leadership and then into an unresolved coalition dispute in one decade.
| Period | Alignment | Party role |
|---|---|---|
| 2017–February 2020 | Pakatan Harapan | GE14 component and governing party |
| March 2020–August 2021 | Perikatan Nasional government | Prime minister’s party and coalition anchor |
| August 2021–November 2022 | BN-led federal administration | Governing partner |
| November 2022–2026 | PN opposition, then disputed status | Opposition party; separate 2026 state campaign |
Chronology
A timeline of the turning points
Bersatu applies for registration
Former UMNO leaders organised a new Malay-Bumiputera party to challenge Najib Razak and UMNO.
Bersatu is registered
Mahathir Mohamad became chair, Muhyiddin Yassin president and Mukhriz Mahathir deputy president.
Bersatu joins Pakatan Harapan
The party entered the opposition coalition with PKR, DAP and Amanah.
PH wins GE14
Bersatu won 13 of the 52 parliamentary seats it contested and Mahathir returned as prime minister.
Bersatu leaves Pakatan Harapan
The withdrawal helped end the PH government during the Sheraton Move.
Muhyiddin becomes prime minister
He formed an administration backed by Bersatu, PAS, BN, GPS and other MPs.
Muhyiddin’s premiership ends
He resigned after losing majority support, but Bersatu remained in the next federal administration.
Bersatu contests GE15 through PN
The coalition surged and became the principal opposition after failing to form a government.
Muhyiddin leaves the PN chair
He remained Bersatu president while Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar succeeded him as coalition chair.
PAS cooperation ends and membership is disputed
Bersatu contested separately in Negeri Sembilan, while PAS and Bersatu gave conflicting accounts of its PN membership.
RoS begins a PN compliance process
A Bersatu complaint led to a show-cause notice and suspension of PN activities, not cancellation of registration.
Why was Bersatu founded?
Bersatu was formed in 2016 by former UMNO leaders opposed to prime minister Najib Razak amid the 1MDB controversy. Its principal founders included Mahathir Mohamad, Muhyiddin Yassin and Mukhriz Mahathir.
The party was designed to compete directly with UMNO for Malay-majority constituencies. Full membership centred on Malays and other Bumiputera, while non-Bumiputera could join as associate members under a different membership category.
Muhyiddin became president and Mahathir chair. This division between the party presidency and chairmanship matters when reading early accounts of who formally led the organisation.
How did Bersatu help Pakatan Harapan win GE14?
Bersatu joined PH in 2017 and gave the coalition a group of nationally recognised former UMNO leaders. Mahathir became PH’s candidate for prime minister, while the coalition divided seats to minimise opposition vote-splitting.
At GE14, Bersatu won 13 of the 52 parliamentary seats it contested. The total was smaller than those of PKR and DAP, but Mahathir’s leadership and the party’s appeal to some former BN voters contributed to the coalition’s victory.
Bersatu entered government and attracted defectors after the election. Its rapid growth also intensified disputes about leadership succession and the balance among PH’s four parties.
Why did Bersatu leave Pakatan Harapan?
In February 2020, Bersatu withdrew from PH while Mahathir resigned as prime minister. The move, together with defections from PKR, ended the coalition’s parliamentary majority.
Muhyiddin was appointed prime minister after royal consultations and formed a government supported by Bersatu, PAS, BN, GPS and other MPs. Perikatan Nasional became the organising coalition for Bersatu and PAS.
Mahathir and several allies rejected the realignment and later left or were removed from Bersatu. The split separated the party’s two best-known founders and placed Muhyiddin firmly in control.
What was Bersatu’s role after Muhyiddin resigned?
Muhyiddin resigned as prime minister in August 2021 after losing majority support. Bersatu nonetheless remained in government under Ismail Sabri Yaakob and held cabinet positions until the 2022 election.
At GE15, Bersatu campaigned through PN with PAS and Gerakan. The aligned parties won 74 seats, becoming the principal opposition when PH, BN and regional parties supported Anwar Ibrahim’s government.
Muhyiddin continued as Bersatu president and PN chair until his coalition resignation took effect on 1 January 2026. The party retained its own organisation even while operating through PN.
Is Bersatu still in Perikatan Nasional in 2026?
The answer was formally disputed at the review date. PAS ended political cooperation with Bersatu in June, and Bersatu fielded 24 candidates under its own logo in the August Negeri Sembilan election rather than joining PN’s slate.
On 7 August, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said Bersatu had automatically lost PN membership. Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali rejected that claim and argued that the coalition presidential council alone could decide under PN’s constitution.
Bersatu then complained to the Registrar of Societies. RoS issued a show-cause notice on 22 September and suspended PN activities the following day while the matter was considered. RoS expressly said the notice was not a cancellation of PN’s registration, so this guide does not declare a final membership outcome.
Who leads Bersatu in 2026?
Muhyiddin Yassin remained Bersatu president at the 4 October 2026 review date. He had led the party as president since its foundation and remained its central public figure after leaving the PN chair.
Azmin Ali served as secretary-general and played a leading role in the party’s response to the PN dispute. The organisation also faced internal and external realignment as it explored cooperation beyond its former PAS partnership.
Because negotiations and RoS proceedings were active, descriptions of Bersatu’s coalition status should always include a review date.
Continue the chronology
Related history guides
Perikatan Nasional: History and Parties
Trace the coalition Bersatu founded and its unresolved 2026 structure.
Read the timeline1951–presentPAS: History and Leaders
Read the history of Bersatu’s principal PN partner and later rival.
Read the timeline2015–presentPakatan Harapan: History and Parties
Place Bersatu’s GE14 role and 2020 exit inside PH history.
Read the timeline9 May 2018Malaysia’s 2018 General Election
Examine the transfer that first brought Bersatu into government.
Read the timelineBiography context
Explore Malaysia through connected lives
Connected biographies
Four leaders around Bersatu’s founding, government and opposition phases
Malaysia · Politics1947—
Muhyiddin Yassin
Eighth Prime Minister of MalaysiaA veteran Johor politician who became prime minister after the 2020 coalition crisis and governed through the most disruptive phase of the pandemic.Read biography
Malaysia · Politics1925—
Mahathir Mohamad
Fourth and seventh Prime Minister of MalaysiaA physician-politician whose two premierships—separated by fifteen years—made him the longest-serving and one of the most consequential leaders in Malaysian history.Read biography
Malaysia · Politics1947—
Anwar Ibrahim
Tenth Prime Minister of MalaysiaA student activist turned government minister, opposition leader and Malaysia’s tenth prime minister after one of the longest routes to national office.Read biography
Malaysia · Politics1960—
Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Ninth Prime Minister of MalaysiaA long-serving minister who became prime minister during the pandemic and led Malaysia through reopening, a cross-party reform accord and the 2022 election.Read biographyQuick answers
Common questions
- What does Bersatu stand for?
- Bersatu is the common name of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, or the Malaysian United Indigenous Party.
- When was Bersatu founded?
- Its founders applied for registration on 10 August 2016, and the party was registered the following month.
- Who founded Bersatu?
- Its best-known founding leaders were Mahathir Mohamad, Muhyiddin Yassin and Mukhriz Mahathir.
- Who is Bersatu president in 2026?
- Muhyiddin Yassin remained president at the 4 October 2026 review date.
- Why did Bersatu leave Pakatan Harapan?
- Its leadership withdrew in February 2020 during a wider parliamentary realignment, helping end the first PH government.
- Is Bersatu still a member of PN?
- Its status was disputed and under RoS review. PAS said it was out; Bersatu said only PN’s presidential council could decide.
- Was PN deregistered after Bersatu’s complaint?
- No. RoS suspended PN activities during a show-cause process and said the notice was not registration cancellation.
Primary and institutional sources
How this history was checked
ISEAS research establishes Bersatu’s formation and PH role; election records anchor its electoral status; BERNAMA documents the current leadership, separate campaign and unresolved PN process. This article was reviewed on 4 October 2026.
- ISEAS – Yusof Ishak InstituteThe Political Realignment and Bersatu’s Role in Pakatan Harapan
- Election Commission of MalaysiaRegistered Party Symbols, October 2025
- BERNAMAMuhyiddin Remains Bersatu President
- BERNAMABersatu Announces 24 Candidates for Negeri Sembilan
- BERNAMAHadi Says Bersatu Lost PN Membership; Azmin Disputes Claim
- BERNAMABersatu Remains a PN Member for the Time Being
- BERNAMARoS Notice Against PN Is Not Registration Cancellation