KUALA LUMPUR: The Negeri Sembilan state government was plunged into leadership turmoil on Monday (Apr 27) after all 14 assemblypersons from the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) withdrew their support for chief minister Aminuddin Harun over his handling of a crisis involving the state’s monarchy.
The exodus means that Aminuddin has lost majority support in the southern Malaysian state, although he has said that he would continue in the role until the issue of political support for him was “clarified”.
Negeri Sembilan UMNO chairperson Jalaluddin Alias had told a press conference in the morning that the decision was made unanimously by all the party’s local lawmakers and that an official letter would be sent to the state assembly speaker and secretary.
“We also want to emphasise that we fully support and defend the customary institutions, the constitution and laws governing the Negeri Sembilan government,” he was quoted as saying by news portal Malaysiakini.
“(We) want a stable government so that it can play the best possible role in the administration of the state while also being able to focus on the objectives of the well-being of the state’s people and economy,” he added.
Aminuddin said at a later press conference on Monday afternoon that ruler Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir wanted him to stay on as the state’s chief minister until the issue of his majority support is “clarified”.
The chief minister added that the state government will continue functioning as usual.
Prior to Jalaluddin’s announcement, the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition – of which UMNO is a dominant party – had formed the state government together with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.
The Negeri Sembilan state assembly has 36 state assemblypersons including 17 from PH, 14 from UMNO and five from the opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN).
To form the government in the Negeri Sembilan state, 19 seats are needed.
Aminuddin is also vice-president of Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat, which is part of PH.
On Apr 19, chieftains from the council of four Undangs – representing the territories of Sungai Ujong, Rembau, Johol, and Jelebu – officially declared that state ruler Tuanku Muhriz had been removed from the throne following allegations of improper conduct.
The Undangs also named a successor, Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar, who is the son of the previous ruler.
However, a day later, Aminuddin said that the declaration was invalid, as the Sungai Ujong chieftain Mubarak Dohak had supposedly been dismissed in May of last year in accordance with Sungai Ujong’s customary mechanisms, reported local media platform the Edge.
Aminuddin then came under fire from Mubarak and the other Undangs, who said that Aminuddin was no longer fit to lead the state administration and should be replaced.
