Barisan Nasional (BN)
The successor coalition to the Alliance Party. BN governed federally from 1974 to 2018 and has been part of the federal unity government since 2022.
membership is temporal
Who is in it
Currently: UMNO, MCA, MIC, PPP MALAYSIA, PBRS.
Previously, and no longer: GERAKAN, PPP MALAYSIA, PAS, PBB, SUPP, USNO, USNO, USNO, BERJAYA, PBS, PBS, PBRS, SARAWAK PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, PARTI RAKYAT SARAWAK.
Party membership of a coalition changes over time. The dates behind this are the same ones the Coalition River on the home page is drawn from.
the account
BN developed from the Alliance coalition of UMNO, MCA and MIC, but its formation date should be stated carefully: published accounts give either 1 or 7 June 1974. PAS was part of the Alliance-PAS mixed government from 1973 and later became associated with BN; its departure in December 1977 is also described differently by the available records.
BN lost federal power at GE14 in 2018. It won 30 parliamentary seats at GE15 in 2022 and then joined the federal unity government. Its state position has since changed: it formed the Johor government after winning 48 of 56 seats in July 2026, and won 18 of 36 seats in Negeri Sembilan in August 2026. PPP's 2025 Registrar of Societies letter and BN's January 2026 announcement should not be collapsed into a single date: they record different steps in PPP's recognition as a component party.
the working
What the sources say
established
OriginBN succeeded the Alliance coalition of UMNO, MCA and MIC. Its exact 1974 registration date is disputed in published Malaysian accounts; see “Contested / uncertain”.
established
PAS's brief membershipPAS formed a mixed government with the Alliance parties on 1 January 1973 and was among the parties associated with BN's formation. Its December 1977 departure is described differently by the available sources; see “Contested / uncertain”.
established
PPP's statusA Registrar of Societies letter dated 25 November 2025 stated that PPP was a party within BN. BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi publicly announced formal recognition of PPP as a component party on 18 January 2026, with a ceremony then planned for the Supreme Council meeting on 21 January. The letter's date and the public announcement are distinct events.
established
Federal and state electoral recordBN lost federal power at GE14 in 2018. At GE15 in 2022, the Election Commission's reported results gave BN 30 parliamentary seats; no bloc had a simple majority. In 2026, BN won 48 of 56 Johor state seats on 11 July and formed the state government. In Negeri Sembilan's 1 August 2026 election, the Election Commission announced BN had won 18 of the 36 state seats; PH won 11 and PN seven.
established
Federal government since 2022On 24 November 2022, UMNO's Supreme Council said BN would support and join a unity government not led by Perikatan Nasional.
where accounts differ
The parts nobody agrees on
Registration date
contested
UMNO's timeline and Harakah Daily give 1 June 1974, while Utusan Sarawak gives 7 June 1974. A Registrar of Societies record or Gazette has not been located to resolve the discrepancy.
PAS's December 1977 departure
contested
Harakah Daily records a 13 December BN Supreme Council directive and PAS's 14 December conclusion that it had been expelled. The Malaysian Bar's historical account says the BN Council decided to expel MPs who voted against the emergency bill. The sources reviewed do not support the often-repeated date of 16 December 1977.