KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 1): Barisan Nasional's (BN) two senior leaders Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias and Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan have retained their respective seats in Pertang (N.02) and Rantau (N.27) in according to unofficial Election Commission (EC) results in Negeri Sembilan.
Jalaluddin, who is Negeri Sembilan Umno chief, has won against Pakatan Harapan's (PH) Mohd Umry Abdul Khois (PKR) and Bersatu's Mohd Faizal Fadli Mohd Idrus.
Meanwhile, Tok Mat won in a straight fight against PKR's Azizul Hakim Mahdi.
Pertang is among the closely watched seats in the election, not only because of its status as a traditional Umno stronghold, but also due to Jalaluddin's central role in the political turmoil that preceded the state polls.
In April, Jalaluddin led Negeri Sembilan Umno's move to withdraw support for the PH-led state administration headed by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, calling on the latter to resign amid a constitutional dispute involving the state's monarchy.
The move briefly threatened the stability of the state government before Umno's national leadership reaffirmed BN's cooperation with PH under the federal unity government, allowing Aminuddin's administration to continue.
The political crisis nevertheless set the stage for the dissolution of the state assembly in June and the subsequent state election.
In the polls, BN and PH, partners in the federal unity government, contested against each other after BN entered into an electoral understanding with Perikatan Nasional (PN).
BN-PN claims momentum as early unofficial results emerge
The latest unoffical EC tally is as follows:
BN won 10 seats: Sungai Lui (N.03), Palong (N.06), Lenggeng (N.09), Seri Menanti (N.16), Senaling (N.17), Johol (N.19), Chembong (N.26), Rantau (N.27), Kota (N.28), and Gemencheh (N.35).
PH won six seats: Lobak (N.11), Bukit Kepayang (N.21), Rahang (N.22), Mambau (N.23), Seremban Jaya (N.24), and Chuah (N.29).
There are still 17 seats to be announced by the commission.
As counting progressed, Umno secretary general Datuk Seri Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said BN was leading in 18 state seats, while PN was ahead in five.
"InshaAllah [God willing], BN-PN is on track to form the Negeri Sembilan government," he said at the Umno headquarters in Seremban.
PH's own unofficial tally broadly corroborated BN's assessment of the race, showing BN leading in 18 seats, PH in nine and PN in seven.
The coalition's figures also indicated that its two most prominent leaders — caretaker Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun of PKR and DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke — have lost in Linggi (N.32) and Chennah (N.01) state seats respectively.
Find out all you need to know about the 2026 Negeri Sembilan election here.