SEREMBAN: The Negri Sembilan government under the leadership of Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun has vowed to soldier on despite being a minority government following the move by 14 Barisan Nasional assemblymen to withdraw their support.
The Mentri Besar said the priority now is to ensure that the state’s programmes for the people continue without disruption.
Despite the challenging situation, he said the state administration will continue to effectively serve the people.
Aminuddin said he was granted an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Besar Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir yesterday before chairing the state exco meeting at Wisma Negri with six remaining exco members,
“Tuanku advised me to proceed with the day-to-day running of the state government and to ensure the programmes for the people continue without problems,” he said here.
He said the meeting did not discuss the vacant exco positions.
However, he said they should be filled up by next week.
He also advised the remaining exco members to help oversee the responsibilities of their former colleagues.
He added that among the upcoming state programmes is the national-level Youth Day celebration on May 15 to be hosted by Negri Sembilan.
Asked how long his minority government would continue to run the state, Aminuddin said this depended on the state Ruler and the provisions in the state constitution.
“For now, I have been asked by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to serve until a suitable time or when an appropriate decision is made.
“My future is out of my hands. He has told me to continue for now and I will abide by any decision taken by the top leadership,” he added.
Asked on a demand by state Umno chief Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias for a special session to be called in the state legislative assembly to gauge the Mentri Besar’s status, Aminuddin said it will be up to the state Ruler to give his consent to this.
Asked if any of the Umno assemblymen had been in touch with him, Aminuddin said he tried calling them about an hour before they announced their decision to withdraw their support on Monday.
“I was shocked when I heard they were withdrawing support.
“My officer and I tried calling them but all 14 were unreachable,” he said, adding that there had been no news from them since.
Aminuddin also refused to comment if the actions by the 14 Umno assemblymen were a strategy to oust him and form a back door government.
“We must continue to run efficiently and not be hampered by these issues,” he added.
The Mentri Besar declined to comment on the royal crisis between the Yang di-Pertuan Besar and the Undang.
“We are leaving this to those in authority to decide. The state government will remain neutral,” he said.
Aminuddin’s Pakatan Harapan government is now left with 17 assemblymen in the 36-seat state assembly after 14 Umno representatives withdrew their support on April 27.
Barisan then issued a statement saying that it had secured a simple majority to form the new administration.
