Barisan Nasional (BN) confirmed it will remain part of Malaysia's unity government until the end of the 15th Parliament, dismissing speculation it plans to oust Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim [1, 2, 3, 4].
Deputy Prime Minister and BN Chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi denied any intention to topple Anwar and called allegations of a "Bangkok Move" or "Dubai Move" to unseat the prime minister false. He said, "I have absolutely no intention. There is no 'Langkah Bengkok', no 'Dubai Move'–nothing of that sort. When we committed ourselves to the unity government, following the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's decree, we committed to remain until the end of the 15th Parliament. Full stop" [3].
Zahid emphasized the importance of political stability and sincerity as the foundation for BN's continued cooperation within the government. He stated, "Let people say whatever they want. The important thing is, in our minds there is a thought that we must be together to create political stability and our souls must be sincere in this matter" [4].
The unity government was formed after the 2022 general election in accordance with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's decree to bring various parties together [1, 3, 4]. Despite being coalition partners in the federal government, BN and the prime minister are campaigning on opposing sides in the 2026 Negeri Sembilan state election, which is ongoing [1]. During the campaign, a BN polling district centre in Klawang temporarily ceased operations but efforts are underway to resolve the issue [1].
So far, there have been no formal talks between BN and Perikatan Nasional about forming a new political alliance under a "Perikatan Barisan Nasional" coalition [1, 4].
On July 23, 2026, Zahid reiterated BN's commitment to the unity government and rejected all rumors about overthrowing Anwar Ibrahim [1, 2, 3, 4]. The current parliamentary term is expected to run until the end of the 15th Parliament [1, 2, 3, 4].
