High Court Suspends Deregistration of Perikatan Nasional
- The Kuala Lumpur High Court granted Perikatan Nasional a temporary reprieve on Oct 22, 2026, suspending the Registrar of Societies’ decision to deregister the opposition coalition.
- Justice Azizan Arshad ruled that exceptional circumstances warranted a stay of the deregistration notice while the coalition’s substantive judicial review application proceeds.
- The deregistration stemmed from an internal dispute between the coalition's parties, PAS and Bersatu, over leadership and meeting protocols.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court granted Perikatan Nasional a temporary reprieve on Oct 22, 2026, suspending the Registrar of Societies’ decision to deregister the opposition coalition. The ruling allows the bloc to use its common electoral symbol and contest the Nov 14 Melaka state election under the Perikatan Nasional banner.
High Court Grants Temporary Stay on Coalition Deregistration
Justice Azizan Arshad ruled that exceptional circumstances warranted a stay of the deregistration notice while the coalition’s substantive judicial review application proceeds. The judge noted that dissolving the coalition before the court could review the matter risked undermining the legal challenge itself. Senior federal counsel Nurhafizza Azizan argued that the application was academic because the Registrar of Societies had already acted, but Perikatan Nasional’s counsel Azhar Azizan Harun maintained that the action was premature and violated the 30-day statutory timeline stipulated in the original show-cause notice.
With the Kuala Lumpur High Court set to hear Perikatan Nasional’s legal challenge this morning, the deregistered coalition faces a race against time to salvage its electoral plans less than two weeks before the Malacca state election.While PN can pursue further legal avenues… pic.twitter.com/wUQjV9bwA4
Internal Rifts Surface Between PAS and Bersatu Over Coalition Direction
The deregistration stemmed from an internal dispute between the coalition’s parties, PAS and Bersatu, over leadership and meeting protocols. Bersatu filed a complaint with the Registrar of Societies alleging it was excluded from a supreme council meeting on July 16. Perikatan Nasional secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan asserted that Bersatu lodged a complaint that triggered the show-cause notice and the subsequent cancellation order issued on Oct 20, 2026.
Electoral Stakes and Campaign Implications in Melaka
Political analysts noted that losing the recognized Perikatan Nasional brand would have severely damaged campaign coordination and voter recognition, particularly among Malay-Muslims on the peninsula’s west coast. Viewfinder Global Affairs managing director Adib Zalkapli said the common symbol remains crucial for the coalition’s electoral appeal. Meanwhile, the Registrar of Societies and the Home Minister filed an appeal against the High Court’s stay order on Oct 23, 2026, naming Director-General Zulfikar Ahmad and Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail as appellants.
Next Legal Steps and Nomination Day Preparations
Perikatan Nasional chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar welcomed the court decision as a positive development, urging all component parties to direct their election machinery toward the Melaka polls. Despite the ongoing friction, Takiyuddin confirmed that Bersatu remains a component party and will be summoned to attend an upcoming coalition meeting. The legal dispute proceeds as parties prepare for candidate nominations ahead of the Nov 14, 2026, state election.