By Murray Hunter
IN an 11.30 pm press conference at his residence, the Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun announced the dissolution of the state assembly.
This means there must be a state election within 60 days of June 5, which will most probably be on the same day as the Johor state election.
This has been forced up Pakatan Harapan as 14 Umno assemblymen withdrew their support for the PKR MB Aminuddin on April 27.
This put great strain upon the national unity coalition at the time, leading to conflicting statements by political leaders in Umno.
Though Aminuddin’s PH held only 17 seats in the 36-seat state assembly, it has governed unabated until now.
Umno leaders pledged to continue supporting the Aminuddin-led state government.
It was also rumoured PH had decided on the number of seats each party would contest - PKR to contest 16 seats, DAP with 11 seats and Amanah with nine seats.
It would be assumed that Umno will contest all of the 36 seats under the Barisan Nasional in the coming polls.
Just recently, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the party’s line-up in Johor will consist of a mixture of incumbents and new faces across Johor’s 56 seats.
There was to be a meeting between Zahid and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to sort out seat allocations between PH and BN. This hasn’t occurred.
The failure to have any meeting between Zahid and Anwar and Aminuddin’s dissolution of the Negeri Sembilan state assembly has now turns up the heat for Malaysian politics.
Effectively, there is no longer a unity government, remaining in name only, with the dissolution of the Melaka state assembly expected soon.
The heat between PKR and Umno is now rising, with the DAP not knowing what to do.
The Negeri Sembilan state election also opens the way for Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli’s Party Bersama Malaysia to join in and act as a wild card in the coming state elections.
Aminuddin has put immense pressure on Anwar to call a general election.
However, Amiruddin is certainly acting upon Anwar’s approval.
So, what we still don’t know if these state elections are just appetisers before the main event, or will be part of a general election.
We should know this when the Melaka assembly disbands in the next few days to a week. – June 5, 2026
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