KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar today rejected Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s claim that PAS acted unilaterally in engaging with Barisan Nasional (BN) ahead of the Negeri Sembilan state election, saying all preliminary discussions were conducted with his knowledge and approval.

In a statement, Samsuri said all preliminary discussions and engagements with parties had taken place with his knowledge in his capacity as PN chairman before being finalised and approved by the coalition’s supreme council.

“Referring to the statement by the Bersatu president yesterday, all preliminary discussions and engagements with parties were conducted with my knowledge and approval as chairman of PN,” he said.

“These matters were subsequently finalised and approved by the PN supreme council at today’s meeting.”

The statement directly contradicted Muhyiddin’s assertion yesterday that PAS had held discussions with BN without consulting PN’s other component parties or obtaining approval from the coalition’s supreme council.

Muhyiddin said Bersatu was disappointed by what he described as PAS’ unilateral actions, arguing they ran counter to PN’s position as a national coalition offering an alternative to both BN and Pakatan Harapan.

Samsuri also said the PN supreme council had approved the allocation of Negeri Sembilan state seats among PAS, Wawasan, Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP).

He added that the council had also agreed that all PN candidates would contest the August 1 state election under the coalition’s logo, with the candidates due to be announced today.

The exchange follows weeks of public tensions between PAS and Bersatu. PAS severed ties with Bersatu last month, although both remain component parties within PN and contested last Saturday’s Johor state election under the coalition’s banner.

Muhyiddin had said yesterday that Bersatu would contest the Negeri Sembilan election under its own logo, adding that several other parties had also expressed interest in using the party’s symbol.

PAS also instructed its members to support BN in constituencies where PN was not fielding candidates, a move Muhyiddin said had not been approved by the PN supreme council.