KUALA LUMPUR: Umno will continue supporting the Negri Sembilan unity government, but will not back Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun if he continues to interfere in matters involving the state’s customary institutions, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Umno president said issues involving the Yang di-Pertuan Besar and the Undang should be respected and resolved internally.
“We are not rejecting him, but we cannot support him as long as he involves himself in the state’s customary laws.
“This is not only the view of Negri Sembilan Umno, but also our position as well,” he told reporters after an event here yesterday.
However, Ahmad Zahid stressed that there are currently no proposals to replace the Mentri Besar.
On Wednesday, Negri Sembilan Umno said that while it would heed the advice of the Umno-Pakatan Harapan leadership to maintain support for the state unity government, it stood by its earlier declaration that it had lost confidence in Aminuddin.
The turmoil in Negri Sembilan began when the Undang of Sungei Ujong, Datuk Mubarak Dohak, together with three other Undang, publicly declared the removal of Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir as Yang di-Pertuan Besar on grounds of alleged misconduct.
On April 20, Aminuddin said the state government would not recognise the declaration, arguing that Mubarak no longer held authority after allegedly being removed as the Undang of Sungei Ujong on May 13 last year.
The four Undang disputed the claim and later declared that Aminuddin was no longer fit to lead the state administration and should be replaced.
Following the dispute, all 14 Barisan Nasional assemblymen in Negri Sembilan withdrew support for the state government.
On Tuesday, the top leadership of Umno and Pakatan Harapan agreed to maintain the unity government framework in Negri Sembilan in the interest of stability and the wellbeing of the people.
On another matter, Ahmad Zahid said Umno would only consider cooperating with PAS again if the Islamist party abandoned what he described as its “traitorous nature”.
Ahmad Zahid said he was also among those who initiated Muafakat Nasional, the now-defunct political pact between Umno and PAS formed in 2019.
The alliance later collapsed after PAS joined Bersatu under the Perikatan Nasional coalition.
“If they remove these traitorous tendencies, perhaps we can consider it. But if they still have such feelings, it is better to forget about it,” said Ahmad Zahid.
Earlier yesterday, PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang called on Umno to reflect and “return to the right path” after allegedly choosing the wrong political partners.
He said PAS and Umno shared similar Islamic struggles despite differing in approach and interpretation, adding that Umno had rejected PAS’ offer to cooperate after the 15th General Election.
