KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 1): It's a wrap: Negeri Sembilan’s 16th state election has set the stage for a shift in political alliances, as the electoral pact between Barisan Nasional and federal opposition Perikatan Nasional secured a two-thirds majority to wrest the state from two-term incumbent Pakatan Harapan.

It is also a wipeout for PN's Bersatu, which contested with its own party, including against its own coalition. Instead, Bersatu's breakaway party Wawasan won three of four seats contested in its electoral debut.

Check out the election data — the candidates, the voter demographics and past results — on our microsite here.

Aug 2, 12.30am: Election Commission chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun officially announced the winners in the now-concluded Negeri Sembilan's 16th state election: BN (18), PH (11), and PN (7).

In total, 646,084 voters turned out to vote, representing 72.64% of total registered voters, Ramlan said at a press conference on the results announcement.

Overall, it has been a sweeping victory for BN and PN, riding on the sentiment from Johor's landslide win by BN just a few weeks ago. 

PH is six seats down from its tally of 17 seats won in 2023, while BN gained four seats and PN gained two.

In conceding its defeat, PH election director Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari pointed to identity politics, which saw an "abnormal" level of racial-based campaigning that is "very worrying" for national politics. 

BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, meanwhile, expressed confidence that the "blue wave" would spread to Melaka, where the state administration has come under pressure following DAP's withdrawal from the BN-led government last month.

Meanwhile, the BN-PN pact would hold talks before deciding on the state’s next menteri besar, according to Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias, who is Negeri Sembilan Umno liaison committee chairman and led the no-confidence move against MB Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun in June. 

All eyes are now on the appointment of the next Negeri Sembilan menteri besar and the political parties' next move heading into the Melaka state election that must be held by February next year. 

In the meantime, the AskEdge's election microsite will continue to update the official tally. Check out the site for more statistics, such as the margins won by each candidates, and the turnout for each state seat. 

11.06pm: BN's MCA wins the final seat Repah (N36), while PH's DAP wins Nilai (N10). 

The final tally is as follows: 
BN: 18, PN: 7, PH: 11

By party, the results are as follows: 
BN — Umno: 16, MCA: 2, MIC: 0
PN — PAS: 4, Wawasan: 3, MIPP: 0, Gerakan: 0
PH — DAP: 9, PKR: 2, Amanah: 0
Bersatu: 0

The results are being officiated by the EC at press time.

9.47pm: The results of two more seats are yet to be announced — Nilai (N10) and Repah (N36).

Meanwhile, BN has raised its tally to 17, followed by PN (7) while PH has 10 seats so far.

At a press conference, PH election director Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari says identity politics outweigh PH's strong administrative track record both at the federal and state level.

Over at BN's state headquarters, chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says the coalition "will hold further discussions to finalise the formation of the new state government, subject to the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar and the Undangs".

He also expresses confidence that the coalition’s victory will spark a “blue wave” that will spread to Melaka.

9.10pm: Amanah is nearing a potential wipeout in Negeri Sembilan. Results for six of the seven seats the party contested have come out, according to unofficial EC results. Amanah lost in all six contests, according to EC. 

The one left pending is Klawang (N04), and the count thus far points to Amanah losing its sole incumbency in Negeri Sembilan. Based on PH's unofficial results, Amanah (PH)’s two-term incumbent Datuk Bakri Sawir is trailing by 1,266 votes behind Wawasan (PN)’s Danni Rais, the son of former state menteri besar Tan Sri Dr Mohd Rais Yatim. This is based on 72.7% of votes counted, according to PH. 

9.07pm: BN has won 14 seats, while PN has won five seats, unofficial EC tally shows. This means the electoral pact has achieved the simple majority of 19 to form the state government. 

PH has won eight seats, the data shows.

The new seats won by BN include Chennah (N01), beating DAP's Anthony Loke, Juasseh (N15), Labu (N20) and Pertang (N02)

PH, meanwhile, wins in Bahau (N08) and Lukut (N30).

PN wins two more: Paroi (N25) and Sikamat (N13).

At Klana Resort Seremban, Selangor MB and PH election director Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari arrives.

8.51pm: Unofficial EC data now shows BN has won 10 seats, combined with PN's three against PH's six.

The latest wins include Tok Mat, who retained the Rantau seat. The Chennah and Linggi seat winners have not been announced under the EC's live report. 

The latest EC tally is as follows: 

8.38pm: Somber mood at PH's information centre at Klana Resort Seremban as coalition machinery starts to leave after unofficial news that they are losing in Chennah (N01) and Linggi (N32).

8.30pm: Umno secretary general Datuk Seri Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said BN is leading in 18 state seats, while PN is ahead in five.

He said, “InshaaAllah (God willing) BN-PN is on track to form the Negeri Sembilan government.”

On PH's side, the coalition's unofficial results corroborate BN’s leading tally. PH says it is leading in nine seats, BN in 18 and PN in seven. Unofficial data shows its two top leaders, Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun and Anthony Loke, are trailing in their respective seats Linggi (N32) and Chennah.

Tok Mat's arrival at Wisma Umno Negeri coincides with the completion of vote counting in Chennah (N01), where BN is claiming victory. The hall erupts in cheers as supporters welcome the veteran leader. 

8.20pm: PN gets its first two seats in Bagan Pinang (N31) and Gemas (N34). PAS is incumbent in Bagan Pinang, while Wawasan took the seat from Bersatu.

8.08pm: Unofficial EC data adds three more winners: Mambau (N23) won by PH’s Lee Kai Yet, Palong (N06) by PN’s Mustapha Nagoor and Chembong (N26) by BN’s Datuk Zaifulbahri Idris.

So far Umno has won three seats and DAP two — all of them incumbent seats, according to EC data.

Meanwhile, at Wisma Umno Negeri, cheers erupt after it was announced that vote counting had been completed in Pertang (N02) and Juasseh (N15), with unofficial results showing Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias and Datuk Ismail Lasim comfortably ahead in their respective seats. 

The hall echoes with chants of “Blue Wave” and “Hoben Jang Hoben”.

In contrast, the mood at PH’s information centre at Klana Resort Seremban remains subdued. Supporter presence remains underwhelming, with only a handful of supporters spotted by The Edge, greatly outnumbered by media personnel and coalition machinery.

7.56pm: Unofficial EC data reveals the first seat, Lobak (N11), was won by PH’s Chew Seh Yong while Gemenceh (N35) was won by BN’s Suhaimizan Bizar.

7.50pm: Unofficial EC data shows that PH now leads in 12 seats, PN seven and BN 17.

7:43pm: Wisma Umno Negeri is packed with journalists and party leaders as they await the election results. More people continue to stream into the hall as the vote count progresses, which briefly paused to make way for Maghrib prayers.

Over at Chennah (N01), MCA's Siow Kong Choon continues to lead against Anthony Loke with a margin of less than 600 votes. Over 9,200 votes have been counted, according to DAP's unofficial tally.

7.26pm: Chennah (N01) — With 4,335 votes counted out of 14,422 registered voters, DAP's Anthony Loke (1,873 votes) is behind MCA's Siow Kong Choon (2,398 votes), unofficial data shows. The seat is seeing a straight fight between PH and BN. 

Bouts in Linggi (N32) and Sikamat (N13), crucial seats for PH, remain tight at this early stage.

Caretaker MB Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun is lagging in early votes in Linggi, based on PH’s unofficial results. Based on 9% of votes counted, Aminuddin is trailing by 322 votes behind Umno (BN)’s Datuk Mohd Faizal Ramli.

At Sikamat, which Aminuddin passed to his political secretary Nor Azman Mohamad, 7.5% of votes have been counted, based on PH’s unofficial results. PKR (PH)’s Azman trails by just 21 votes behind Wawasan (PN)’s Datuk Razali Abu Samah. 

There is no supporter presence at Klana Resort Seremban, where PH has gathered to watch the results. Only media personnel and coalition machinery are present.

7:10pm: In Pertang (N02), incumbent Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias, who is also the Negeri Sembilan Umno liaison committee chief, has polled 1,401 votes, ahead of PH’s Mohd Umry Abdul Khois (157 votes) and Bersatu’s Mohd Faizal Fadli Mohd Idrus (63 votes). There are 12,873 registered voters here.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission's (EC) unofficial data shows BN is leading in 18 seats, followed by PH (11) and PN (7).

7.06pm: PH unofficial results show that PH is leading in three seats, BN in 11 and PN in four.

PH leads in Temiang (N12), Pilah (N18) and Chuah (N29).

BN leads in Pertang (N02), Sungai Lui (N03), Palong (N06), Juasseh (N15), Seri Menanti (N16), Senaling (N17), Johol (N19), Labu (N20), Chembong (N26), Gemencheh (N35) and Repah (N36).

PN leads in Klawang (N04), Sikamat (N13), Ampangan (N14) and Gemas (N34).

7:04pm: Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, better known as Tok Mat, has taken an early lead in the straight fight for Rantau (N27). The foreign minister and Rembau MP has secured 2,162 votes, compared with 455 votes for PH’s Dr Azizul Hakim Mahdi. If the lead holds, Tok Mat would retain the Rantau seat for a seventh consecutive term. There are 34,831 voters in Rantau

6.55pm: PH leaders, including Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong and Ipoh Timor MP Howard Lee, have arrived at the PH information centre at Klana Resort Seremban. General mood at the centre remains tame at the material time.

6.46pm: BN has taken the lead in Linggi (N32), one of the key battlegrounds where caretaker Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun is contesting. 

BN candidate Datuk Mohd Faizal Ramli has polled 979 votes, ahead of PH’s Aminuddin (304 votes) and Bersatu’s Datuk Zamri Md Said (46 votes), based on early unofficial results. There are 20,677 registered voters in Linggi.

6.43pm: PH unofficial results show that PH is leading in two seats, BN in five, Bersatu in one, and an independent in one.

6.30pm: Unofficial results show BN leading in Pertang (N02), Juasseh (N15), Pilah (N18), Johol (N19), Labu (N20), Rantau (N27), Gemas (N34), Gemencheh (N35), and Repah (N36).

6.13pm: BN leaders, including Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, have arrived at Wisma Umno Negeri in Seremban ahead of the election results announcement. BN supporters have also begun gathering at the venue.

BN's push in Negeri Sembilan is led by its state chief Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias, who is contesting in Pertang (N02). He is also MP for Jelebu and has served in Putrajaya as deputy federal territories minister in 2021-2022.

On the opposite side, PH is led by caretaker Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun from PKR, who has left his seat in Sikamat (N13) to lead the charge against BN in Linggi (N32). 

Another PH heavyweight is Transport Minister Anthony Loke, who is DAP secretary general and is defending Chennah (N01), where he has served since 2013.

5.57pm: Unofficial vote counts have begun to be shown at the PH information centre for the 16th Negeri Sembilan state polls at Klana Resort Seremban.

PH's unofficial results show the coalition is leading in Linggi (N32), Seri Menanti (N16) and Chuah (N29) based on early votes counted thus far.

5.50pm: Counting of early votes started at 5pm, and the numbers have started to come in through unofficial channels.

Among the 36 seats, Senaling (N17) has the least number of registered voters (9,903), while Paroi (N25) has the biggest voter count (64,998).

5pm: As at 4pm, more than 562,000 voters or 65.38% have turned out to vote in the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election, according to data from the Election Commission.

This compares with 61.89% at the same 4pm-mark in the 2023 state election, the data showed. 

The highest turnout was seen in N28 Kota (72.1%), N16 Seri Menanti (70.9%), and N20 Labu (70.9%). 

The lowest turnout was 59% in N08 Bahau, N30 Lukut, and N11 Lobak. 

Earlier, it was reported that traffic flow on several major routes in the state has been steadily building, attributed to outstation voters returning to their hometown to cast their ballots. 

In 2023, 68.35% of registered voters in Negeri Sembilan turned out to vote. PH won 17 seats that year, followed by BN (14) and PN (5). 

All polling stations will be closed by 6pm.