PH holds 17 seats in the 36-seat Negeri Sembilan state legislative assembly, and forms the state government together with BN’s 14 seats.
Perikatan Nasional (PN) holds the remaining five seats, split between PAS’ three seats and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu)’s two seats.
In the Johor state polls, PAS had urged its supporters to back BN in constituencies where PN was not fielding candidates, though BN has maintained that both pacts – which are rivals at the federal level – did not have an official cooperation agreement.
The Negeri Sembilan polls come amid the backdrop of strained ties between BN and PH in the state.
After 14 assemblymen from BN lynchpin party United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) pulled their support for Aminuddin in April, he called for snap polls in Negeri Sembilan, even though the next election was due only by November 2028.
The UMNO assemblymen attributed their move to what they described as Aminuddin’s improper handling of a royal crisis in the state, but later backtracked on their withdrawal on orders from the party’s central leadership.
PH and BN are each expected to contest all 36 seats in the upcoming polls, replicating their head-on contest in Johor. Candidates’ official nomination will take place on Saturday (Jul 18).
WHAT SHOULD PH CAMPAIGN IN NEGERI SEMBILAN?
Azmi Hassan, a senior fellow at the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research, told CNA that PH must lean into its incumbency in Negeri Sembilan and not repeat its strategy for Johor.
“Yes, PH was not part of the Johor government, but I think when the federal ministers from PH went down to campaign in Johor, they acted like the opposition. Never did they try to convince that PH would be a better state government,” he said.
PH needs to localise the Negeri Sembilan contest around Aminuddin’s record, candidate quality and bread-and-butter issues, said Asrul Sani, an associate vice-president at strategic advisory firm The Asia Group.
In Negeri Sembilan, bread-and-butter concerns centre around cost of living, housing affordability, wages, and local infrastructure, Asrul said, noting that an economic “spillover” from nearby Klang Valley has raised costs faster than local incomes, particularly in Seremban and Nilai.
“Despite Anwar Ibrahim’s extensive campaigning in Johor, PH still performed poorly, suggesting that national personalities and federal issues alone may not be enough to shape state election outcomes,” he told CNA.
Syaza Shukri, a political scientist at the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), said PH’s “biggest lesson” from Johor is that it needs to separate national from local issues.
“We understand PH’s strength is the fact that it is leading the federal government, but that might not resonate with voters in state elections,” she said, adding that PH needs to convince voters that “continuity” under Aminuddin is better.
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