TAIPING, Aug 9 — Bersatu remains a member of Perikatan Nasional (PN) despite claims that its membership had automatically lapsed over plans for a new political coalition, PN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar reportedly said today.

Utusan Malaysia reported Ahmad Samsuri as saying Bersatu’s status in PN had not changed as of today.

“As of today, they are still a member of Perikatan Nasional,” he was quoted as saying after opening the 23rd Perak PAS Convention here.

Asked about Bersatu’s plan to lodge a report with the Registrar of Societies (RoS), Ahmad Samsuri said the party was free to take whatever action it considered appropriate as long as it complied with the law and existing rules.

PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang had on Friday claimed that Bersatu was no longer part of PN after the party announced plans to form a new political coalition.

He said the PN constitution stipulated that a member party would automatically cease to be part of the coalition if it joined or established another alliance.

Bersatu has rejected the claim, maintaining that it remains a PN component party and has yet to decide whether to join any other political coalition, including Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat (IPR).