THERE are no suitable words to describe what is happening in Negri Sembilan where the government is hanging on by a thread as fragile as a spider’s web.
He is now leading a minority government and has insisted that his administration can still function although according to some legal authorities, his signature as the Mentri Besar may no longer even be valid. He cannot pass bills in the state assembly or allocate spending in the state.
The Negri Sembilan government is in the throes of a constitutional crisis that is made more complicated by the state’s unique adat perpatih system.
Some think that what happened resembles a comedy of error except that this is not funny at all. Instead, it has serious implications and is causing ripples beyond the state.
What began as a combined move by 14 Barisan Nasional and five Perikatan Nasional assemblymen on Monday (April 27) morning to pull the plug on Aminuddin quickly stumbled into a pothole.
Hours later, Aminuddin, who has the backing of the Ruler, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Tuanku Munawir, declared he is still the Mentri Besar for now and that those who wish to remove him should do it via a vote of no confidence in the state assembly.
There is a serious deadlock and nobody knows where to find the missing key.
Aminuddin, who is PKR vice-president, is backed by 17 Pakatan Harapan assemblymen - 11 from DAP, five from PKR and 1 from Parti Amanah.
State DAP chief and Chennah assemblyman Anthony Loke also stood firmly by Aminuddin, declaring that the government was formed with the people’s mandate in 2023 and DAP would not support what he called a “tebuk atap” or backdoor government.
This was an important moment for DAP given rumours that the party would switch their support.
The question is how long can Aminuddin hang on as the leader of a minority government?
According to lawyer Ivanpal S. Grewal there is no provision in the Constitution for a minority government.
“It has happened in other countries but it is problematic from a legislative point of view especially when it comes to passing legislation.
“In this case, 19 of them have pulled their support. The Mentri Besar no longer has the confidence of the majority of the house. At best, he can survive until the next state assembly sitting,” said Ivanpal.
How did things go so wrong in this state known for its beautiful countryside and rolling hills?
What began as a decision by the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) or council of elders that includes the Ruler and the Mentri Besar to sack one of the Undang Yang Empat resulted in the four chieftains retaliating by sacking the Ruler.
They went a step further and declared Tunku Nazaruddin Tuanku Jaafar as the new Ruler.
The four Undang, under the adat perpatih system, have the power to appoint or dispose of the Ruler, although the way they went about it has been questioned.
The Mentri Besar became the pawn in the clash when he jumped the gun in affirming the decision of DKU. The four Undang then turned on him and asked him to resign.
That was when Umno decided to exploit the crisis, or as one young Umno politician put it, “never waste a crisis”.
State Umno chief and Pertang assemblyman Datuk Jalaluddin Alias led the group to pull the rug from under Aminuddin.
The tremor which became an earthquake had brought on a tsunami.
Not everyone in Umno approves of the way the coup was executed.
Umno leaders in states where they usually tip-toe around their Sultan are appalled with what they saw as the “cowboy boots and hat” style of politics.
“What is the hurry? This kind of thing must be done without making people lose face. The Mentri Besar is already like a low-hanging fruit about to drop, there is no need to shake the tree like this,” said an Umno supreme council member.
Some in Umno also think that the party should have tried to find a mediator to resolve the falling-out between the Undang Yang Empat and the palace.
Others are of the opinion that Umno should not be cleaning up the mess caused by Aminuddin.
The Mentri Besar can hide behind the Ruler for only so long. He needs to convene a state assembly sitting where he will have to face a vote on his leadership.
He holds the cards for now because the Speaker is from Parti Amanah. They can delay the assembly sitting while they try to work out a plan.
The opinion is that the honorable way out is to dissolve the state assembly and seek a fresh mandate from the people.
Aminuddin is known as a humble and pleasant personality and he saw his survival to be closely tied to the Ruler.
But any Umno leader in Negri Sembilan would know that you also have to play ball with the powerful Undang Yang Empat.
Aminuddin is obviously not a political animal and some have alluded to him as the kancil or deer trampled in the tussle between two elephants.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
