Zahid: No PM candidate talks until parliament dissolved

Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has urged that discussions on the next prime minister and electoral cooperation should wait until Parliament is dissolved. Zahid, who is also UMNO president, emphasized that it is premature to speculate about the prime minister's identity as the timing of the next general election remains unclear.

He suggested parties should instead focus on the upcoming Melaka State Election. Zahid made these remarks at the closing ceremony of the 2026 National Orang Asli Sports Carnival in Iskandar Puteri, following the PAS president's statement about the party's potential candidate for prime minister. PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had reportedly said the party had a candidate in mind, but revealed no details.

Zahid reiterated the BN's support for a unity government and stated that they would respect the decisions of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim, including any directive to dissolve Parliament.