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SHAH ALAM – Four years after the 15th General Election (GE15) produced a hung Parliament, Malaysia's federal political landscape has undergone significant change, with defections, expulsions, resignations and the emergence of new political vehicles reshaping the balance of power in the Dewan Rakyat.
While Pakatan Harapan (PH) emerged as the largest coalition with 82 seats in GE15, the subsequent formation of the unity government brought together PH, Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and several other parties and independent MPs.
Since then, the composition of Parliament has shifted as lawmakers changed political affiliations, were expelled from their parties or vacated their seats.
Here is how the major parties compare between GE15 in 2022 and the current parliamentary composition in 2026.
PAKATAN HARAPAN (PH)
Democratic Action Party (DAP): 40 to 40
DAP retained all 40 parliamentary seats it won in GE15.
The party remains one of the largest blocs in the Dewan Rakyat and a key pillar of PH. Party leaders have repeatedly reaffirmed the support of all 40 DAP MPs for the unity government despite internal discussions over the party's position in government.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR): 31 to 28
PKR entered Parliament with 31 MPs but has since lost three seats following the resignations of former Cabinet ministers Rafizi Ramli (Pandan) and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Setiawangsa) and most recently, Wong Chen (Subang).
Wong's resignation took effect on Aug 10, making him the third PKR lawmaker to vacate a parliamentary seat in less than four months.
Meanwhile, Lee Chean Chung (Petaling Jaya) resigned from PKR's central leadership council but remains a party member and continues to serve as MP.
Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah): 8 to 8
Amanah maintained all eight parliamentary seats it won in GE15.
The party remains one of PH's three core component parties alongside PKR and DAP.
BARISAN NASIONAL (BN)
BN as a whole continues to hold 30 parliamentary seats, comprising 26 Umno MPs, two MCA MPs, one MIC MP and one PBRS MP.
United Malays National Organisation (Umno): 26 to 26
Umno won 26 parliamentary seats in GE15 and continues to hold the same number today.
Although several senior figures faced disciplinary action after the election, the party's parliamentary strength remained intact.
This is because Malaysia's anti-hopping law generally does not trigger a vacancy when an MP is expelled from a political party.
Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS): Unchanged
MCA retains its two parliamentary seats, while MIC and PBRS continue to hold one seat each.
None of the three parties has recorded any change in parliamentary representation since GE15.
PERIKATAN NASIONAL (PN)
Pas: 43 to 43
Pas remains the largest single party in the Dewan Rakyat with 43 MPs.
The Kemaman parliamentary seat was briefly vacated in September 2023 after the Election Court nullified the GE15 victory of Pas candidate Che Alias Hamid over allegations of electoral misconduct.
Pas retained the seat in the subsequent by-election when Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar won on Dec 2, 2023, preserving the party's 43-seat tally.
Parti Wawasan Negara (Wawasan): 0 to 6 official MPs
Wawasan did not exist as a parliamentary force during GE15.
The party was officially launched on June 13, 2026, by former Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin. Rather than starting a new party from scratch, Hamzah's Gerakan Reset Malaysia faction took over and rebranded the dormant Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM).
A wave of MPs aligned with Hamzah subsequently left Bersatu to join the new party. Wawasan was later admitted into the Perikatan Nasional coalition, significantly altering the opposition's internal balance of power.
OTHERS
Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu): 31 to 19
Bersatu's parliamentary strength fell sharply since GE15.
The party won 31 seats in 2022 but lost six MPs after they were sacked for backing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's administration, reducing its numbers to 25.
A further split emerged in 2026 following disciplinary action involving Hamzah and lawmakers aligned with him.
The latest realignment leaves Bersatu with 19 MPs, while six former Bersatu lawmakers have formally joined Wawasan and several others remain suspended members aligned with the new bloc.
Parti Warisan (Warisan) and Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda)
Warisan entered the 15th Parliament with three seats and continues to be represented by these three MPs.
Muda won one seat in GE15 and remains represented by a single MP.
Both parties, however, remain relatively small players compared with the major coalitions.
Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS): 23 to 23
The Sarawak-based coalition remains a crucial component of the federal unity government. It continues to be represented by 23 MPs.
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS): 5 to 7
GRS officially won five parliamentary seats under its own banner in GE15, but its federal representation has since expanded.
Independent Kudat MP Verdon Bahanda later joined a GRS component party, while Upko's two federal seats were subsequently integrated into the coalition's parliamentary fold.
The bigger picture
The changes illustrate how Malaysia's political landscape has evolved despite the absence of another federal election.
PH's core parties have largely maintained their numbers, while the most significant movement has taken place within the opposition, particularly through Bersatu's decline and Wawasan's emergence as a new political force.
The contrast is stark. Bersatu has fallen from 31 seats in GE15 to 19 today, while Wawasan has gone from having no parliamentary representation to six official MPs and a broader alignment of lawmakers associated with the new bloc.
Meanwhile, Pas maintains its position as the largest single party in Parliament.