Marang: PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang today claimed that Bersatu has automatically lost its membership in Perikatan Nasional (PN) following the party's move to form a new coalition. "He (Bersatu president) has already made a statement wanting to form another alliance... automatically the party is out," he said after a duha lecture at the Rusila Mosque here.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Abdul Hadi stated that PN does not need to make an official notification to Bersatu regarding its status in the coalition because the party is considered to have automatically exited after expressing its intention to form another coalition. Previously, media reports quoted Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as indicating that Bersatu would form a new coalition with several other parties following the Negeri Sembilan state election.

However, Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, in a separate statement, refuted Abdul Hadi's claim, asserting that the party remains a legitimate member of PN, as there is no clause in the PN Constitution that provides for the automatic revocation of a component party's membership. "Bersatu's position as a component party of PN can only be decided by the presidential council according to Clause 7A of the Perikatan Nasional Constitution. To date, the presidential council has not convened to determine Bersatu's membership in PN," he said.

Azmin emphasized that the PAS president does not have the authority or veto power to determine Bersatu's status in PN. He further mentioned that Bersatu will file an official complaint with the Registrar of Societies regarding the matter.