Pakatan Harapan chairman Anwar Ibrahim has maintained that there were elements of betrayal in Negeri Sembilan, despite Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi rejecting such allegations.
Anwar said attempts had been made to destabilise the administration led by Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun, even though the state government was politically and economically stable.
Anwar alleges attempts to undermine state government
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 10th annual general meeting of Koprojaya, the prime minister said successful cooperation between Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional required all parties to avoid acts of betrayal.
He said that while the absence of betrayal would be a positive outcome, his experience in Negeri Sembilan indicated that there had been efforts to bring down the state government despite its stability.
According to Anwar, there were “certainly attempts” to topple the administration, adding that, in his view, there had been “a bit of betrayal”.
Zahid rejects allegation
A day earlier, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi denied that Umno had betrayed Pakatan Harapan in Negeri Sembilan, noting that the party ultimately instructed its 14 state assembly members to continue supporting Aminuddin’s administration after initially withdrawing that support.
The Umno president said the party had agreed to back the menteri besar until the completion of his term, while emphasising that the decision to dissolve the state assembly and call for fresh elections remained Aminuddin’s prerogative.
The Negeri Sembilan state election is scheduled for Aug 1, with Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional set to contest against each other despite being allies at the federal level.
Focus remains on economy
Anwar, who is also PKR president, reiterated that his priority remains strengthening the economy and addressing issues affecting the public rather than pursuing an early general election.
He said the coming months would be better spent focusing on the global economic crisis instead of being preoccupied with election-related matters.
