JOHOR BARU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A leader from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia in Johor mistakenly cheered for rival coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH) on live TV, instead of the Perikatan Nasional pact to which his party belongs.

Mr A Halim was believed to be addressing a media conference in Mersing, Johor, ahead of the state election on March 12.

In the 47s clip aired live on Astro Awani, he was seen leading his supporters in the party's Mersing division to chant "Hidup Pakatan" ("Long live Pakatan") several times, before a man sitting behind him leaned forward to say something to him.

Mr Halim looked bewildered then corrected himself and chanted "Perikatan" instead.

Bersatu was formerly part of the PH government which came into power after the May 2018 election. In February 2020, several Bersatu MPs, together with other lawmakers from Parti Keadilan Rakyat, quit the coalition and triggered the PH government's collapse.

Bersatu, led by former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, is now part of the Perikatan Nasional pact, which forms the federal government together with the Barisan Nasional alliance led by Umno.

Mr Halim's gaffe, shared on the Facebook page of Tentera Troll Kebangsaan Malaysia on Saturday (March 5), has been viewed thousands of times and gone viral on social media.

Social media users were quick to criticise him, with some joking that Mr Halim lived in "two worlds" and had forgotten which coalition he was affiliated to.