May 5, 2026
KUALA LUMPUR – UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has laid down the law for his party in the Negri Sembilan mentri besar crisis.
On Thursday, he told the media that the Umno assemblymen who withdrew their support for Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun had agreed to remain within the framework of the unity government in the state.
On April 27, the 14 Umno assemblymen, led by Negri Sembilan Umno chief Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias, triggered the mentri besar crisis by withdrawing their support for Aminuddin’s leadership. This effectively collapsed the government’s majority, as Aminuddin’s Pakatan Harapan coalition was left with only 17 seats, two short of the 19 required to govern.
On the same day, Perikatan Nasional, with five seats, announced its support for Umno in forming a new state government, further intensifying political uncertainty. It appeared that Umno and its supposed archrival, Perikatan, were poised to take over the state administration, with Jalaluddin slated as the next mentri besar.
Briefly, the nation was gripped by the possibility that the Negri Sembilan crisis that had Perikatan supporting Umno would trigger a domino effect in other states, such as Perak and Pahang, where a combination of Perikatan and Umno seats could form state governments.
Which of course then opened up the possibility that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Madani government could fall.
But that was only a brief possibility, as Ahmad Zahid has remained loyal to the prime minister.
So, since the Umno president has spoken, is the Negri Sembilan MB crisis over?
I called my colleague, Sarban Singh, who is The Star’s Negri Sembilan bureau chief, for insight.
After Ahmad Zahid spoke, Sarban said the 14 Umno assemblymen went silent to cool things down. However, yesterday Jalaluddin reiterated the 14 assemblymen’s position: They have lost confidence in the mentri besar’s leadership. He also said Negri Sembilan Umno was prepared to be a part of the state opposition until the next state or general election.
Earlier on Friday, Negri Sembilan Umno wings – Wanita, Pemuda, and Puteri Umno – issued a joint statement slamming the state government’s decision to seal the official residence and balai (hall) of the Undang of Sungei Ujong, claiming the move pre-empted customary processes and proved Aminuddin’s inability to manage the state’s unique traditional institutions. The three wings had brought up the other crisis in the state: the Yamtuan Besar crisis.
On April 19, the Undang Yang Empat (four territorial chieftains), led by Sungei Ujong Undang Datuk Mubarak Dohak, shocked the nation by declaring the “sacking” of reigning state Ruler (aka the Yamtuan Besar), Tuanku Muhriz ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir, and naming a successor.
The state government immediately dismissed the move as unconstitutional.
The move followed on the heels of a special council meeting on April 17, at which the administration had moved to strip the lead chieftain, the Undang of Sungei Ujong, of his title for 33 alleged breaches of tradition.
The Negri Sembilan Umno leadership pounced on the matter, arguing that the mentri besar had failed to navigate the state’s customary sensitivities.
The state party said that it only learned of the deepening rift between the Undang and the Yamtuan through social media, arguing that the mentri besar should have consulted the 14 Umno assemblymen before taking such drastic action against a chieftain.
In Negri Sembilan, the Undang system is highly regarded and its four elected members wield significant power, so Umno’s rationale for withdrawing support was simple: It is siding with royal tradition over political convenience.
Now that Ahmad Zahid has spoken, is Aminuddin’s position safe?
For now, it appears he will remain in office, largely due to a lack of viable alternatives within his own party, PKR. The party holds five seats but Aminuddin is the only Malay male PKR assemblyman in the state – a critical factor given the traditional criteria for the post. The other two Malay PKR representatives are women.
While Negri Sembilan Umno, especially Jalaluddin, may wish for one of its own to take the top job, given that it holds 14 seats, such a change is unlikely in the immediate term.
Even if Umno had not returned to support the government, the question of whether Aminuddin can remain as mentri besar can only be answered by the state assembly, which may be delayed for six months.
Furthermore, Aminuddin continues to receive crucial support from Negri Sembilan Ruler, Tuanku Muhriz, who has directed him to continue his duties despite the political noise.
Also, DAP, with its 11 assemblymen, is dead set against Umno taking over the mentri besar post. The party has said that if it happens, it would withdraw its support in states like Perak, potentially collapsing the government there as well.
The political maths in Perak illustrates why this threat carries weight: Pakatan holds 24 seats, of which 18 belong to DAP assemblymen, while Barisan Nasional holds only nine seats (Umno, eight; MIC, one), yet remarkably provided the mentri besar in the person of Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.
But if Umno and Perikatan formed a government in Negri Sembilan, they could have done the same in Perak. The 59-seat Perak assembly requires 30 seats for a majority. A combined force of Perikatan’s 26 seats and Barisan’s nine would reach 35 seats, comfortably surpassing Pakatan and handing the state to a new coalition.
Back in a still tense Negri Sembilan, will Tuanku Muhriz remain as the ruler to continue supporting Aminuddin?
The situation is fluid. Experts on the Negri Sembilan constitution and the state’s unique Adat Perpatih customary system (in which the royal ruler is elected) say that the Undang can’t simply remove the ruler without following strict procedures: “It is not easy to remove a ruler,” said a political source in the state who did not want to be named.
The Sungei Ujong Undang, Mubarak, has been evicted from his official residence by the Negri Sembilan State Secretary’s Office, which issued a directive ordering him to vacate the premises with immediate effect
In response, Mubarak has requested that the minutes of the April 17 special meeting be disclosed to check if there was a quorum, and what grounds for his removal were specified.
It is likely the matter will either be settled in court or by Negri Sembilan’s royal Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (Council of Justice and Custom).
Ahmad Zahid has spoken, and for now the Negri Sembilan Umno rebellion has been squashed. But the state’s mentri besar crisis is a blunt reminder that Umno/Barisan could leave the Pakatan coalition and contest solo in the upcoming 16th General Election.