Negeri Sembilan Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Mohamad Hasan has voiced disappointment over the allocation of political posts in the state. He claims the distribution does not reflect the cooperative spirit practised by the unity government at the federal level.
Known as Tok Mat, Mohamad stated that positions should be allocated fairly and proportionately, as seen in the federal Cabinet where he serves as Foreign Minister. The former Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar stressed that mutual respect among state coalition partners is vital. He warned that lingering doubts could negatively impact grassroots support.
Federal-state disparity in power-sharing
‘As a representative of the partners who formed the Negeri Sembilan state government, I am disappointed,’ he was quoted as saying by Sinar Harian. He pointed out that all parties had promised to jointly manage the country at the federal level.
‘We manage the state together, and we must share the positions equally,’ he explained. He cited the federal example where if Pakatan Harapan (PH) holds the Higher Education portfolio, then BN holds the Rural Development portfolio. ‘It should be one for you, one for me. But in Negeri Sembilan, it’s not like that. It’s two for me, none for you. That is not how it should be,’ he said during the state assembly sitting.
Concerns over executive council and senate appointments
Currently, BN holds 14 of the 36 state seats, while PH has 17 and Perikatan Nasional (PN) has five. In the state executive council, PH members occupy seven out of 11 seats, including that of Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun, with BN holding the remaining four.
Mohamad said that while BN strives to co-manage the state and nation with its partners, it faces tough questions from its own supporters on certain issues. The Umno deputy president also expressed dissatisfaction with the recent allocation of senatorships, which were both awarded to PH representatives.
Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Fuziah Salleh and Deputy National Unity Minister K. Saraswathy were sworn in as senators. Both are from PKR, a component party of PH. ‘Wouldn’t it be better if the senator positions were shared – one for PH and one for BN?’ Mohamad questioned.
Call for honoring agreements and fair partnership
‘Decisions like this are not appropriate. I do not want this to happen again. Respect our partners,’ he urged. Mohamad emphasized that all agreements reached in discussions between PH and BN must be honored.
He recalled that Negeri Sembilan PH chairman Aminuddin Harun once said in a speech, ‘when we invest together, we gain together; when we lose, we lose together.’ ‘But here, the investments were not shared equally,’ Mohamad responded. ‘One side invests and gains, the other side bears the loss.’
