Kuala lumpur: Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) has announced its decision to refrain from participating in the upcoming 16th Negeri Sembilan state election, shifting its focus instead to the Melaka state election.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the decision by Bersama was communicated through a joint statement by the party's leaders, Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, and Syukri Razab. They cited current developments in Negeri Sembilan, along with time and resource constraints, as the primary reasons behind their strategic withdrawal from the election.

The party has scheduled an initial preparatory meeting for the Melaka state election on July 21. This meeting aims to identify potential seats and initiate the screening of prospective candidates, ensuring that candidates can be announced well ahead of time.

The Election Commission has designated August 1 as the polling day for the Negeri Sembilan election, with nomination day set for this Saturday and early voting slated for July 28. In a previous contest during the Johor state election on July 11, Bersama did not secure any of the 15 seats it vied for, marking their debut in electoral contests.