RoS deregisters Perikatan Nasional, PN to appeal to home minister and court

The Registrar of Societies (RoS) deregistered Perikatan Nasional (PN) on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reported. PN secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the coalition is weighing an appeal to the home minister and action in court, with the Melaka state election less than four weeks away.

What the RoS said

The RoS said PN's 12 October reply to a show-cause notice dated 22 September did not give strong enough justification to keep the coalition registered. According to FMT, the department said the reply "could not rebut the grounds" for deregistration. The RoS did not disclose the grounds or what PN argued.

The notice followed a complaint from Bersatu. FMT reported that Bersatu said it was left out of a PN Supreme Council meeting on 16 July and raised questions about its membership in the coalition. PAS ended its cooperation with Bersatu in June 2026. The RoS had earlier suspended all PN activities, and the High Court gave PN leave for a judicial review but refused an interim stay, as covered in PN gets leave to challenge RoS suspension, activities stay frozen.

What PN will do

At a press conference in Parliament, Takiyuddin said the Societies Act 1966 lets an aggrieved party appeal to the minister within 30 days of an RoS decision. He said an appeal is one option alongside court challenges, and PN "will look into all actions that can be taken in court and at the administrative level".

He said the deregistration effectively denies Melaka voters the chance to vote for PN candidates on polling day. PN's application to stay the suspension of its activities is due to be heard on Thursday, 22 October, and Takiyuddin said the coalition will also seek a stay of the deregistration.

PN chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, a PAS vice-president, said the deregistration will not reduce public support for PN. In a Facebook post he questioned the timing, since the stay application had not been heard, and called the events "extraordinary, and possibly even unnatural". He claimed the move before the Melaka election was driven by fear of the coalition.

Bersatu's reaction

PN co-founder Muhyiddin Yassin said he was saddened by the decision and that it should remind coalition leaders to treat component parties fairly and comply with the coalition's constitution. "Don't abuse your power or position in the coalition simply for the interests of your own party or certain groups," he wrote. Muhyiddin said he would discuss the matter with Bersatu's leadership at a special political bureau meeting on the evening of 20 October. He led PN from 2020 until he stepped down in January 2026, when Samsuri succeeded him.

In a Malay Mail headline, Bersatu's Azmin said the deregistration showed the Perikatan leadership breached the coalition's constitution.

What it means for Melaka

The Melaka election is on 14 November, with nomination day on 31 October. FMT reported that PN will likely contest under the banner of one of its component parties, but no decision has been made. PN election director Sanusi Nor said PN can use the PAS logo, while PAS Melaka said the choice between the PN logo and a component party's logo will be decided by the central leadership.

A day earlier, during the Budget 2027 debate, a row broke out in the Dewan Rakyat, as covered in Takiyuddin's munafik remark sparks 10-minute row in Dewan Rakyat, Speaker to check Hansard. For Melaka voters, the nearest question is which logo will be on the ballot paper.

Sources

• Free Malaysia Today, PN mulls appealing to home minister over deregistration, 20 October 2026
• Free Malaysia Today, Deregistration won't dent support for PN, says Samsuri, 20 October 2026
• Free Malaysia Today, PN deregistration a reminder to lead fairly, says Muhyiddin, 20 October 2026
• Malay Mail, Azmin: RoS deregistration shows Perikatan leadership breached coalition constitution, 20 October 2026 (headline only)