UMNO faces decline as BN plans solo run for election
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- BN is "almost certain" to contest the next general election alone, according to UMNO president Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, while keeping "understanding" with other coalitions.
- BN's parliamentary seats fell from 133 in 2013 to 79 in 2018 and then to 30 in the 2022 election, indicating a sharp structural decline.
- Najib Razak remains incarcerated, serving a six‑year term and facing a 15‑year sentence handed down in December 2025 on 25 separate 1MDB‑related charges, while UMNO continues to lobby for his pardon.
- Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has been granted a discharge not amounting to acquittal on 47 corruption‑related charges tied to his charitable foundation, with a full acquittal still pending.
- PAS captured 43 of the 74 seats won by Perikatan Nasional in GE15, emerging as the main vehicle for conservative Malay‑Muslim voters and benefitting from a “green wave” among younger Malays.
- UMNO won only 19 of the 108 seats it contested in the six state elections held in 2023, reflecting weakened grassroots mobilisation and difficulty attracting new talent.
Why it matters: The decline in BN's seat count and UMNO's tarnished image erode its bargaining power within the coalition, forcing it to shoulder economic blame and risk losing Malay voter support to PAS, while the government faces budget cuts that could further strain public services.
