'Never wanted a snap state election' in Negeri Sembilan, but no choice given BN's actions: Anwar

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim declared he never desired snap state elections in Negeri Sembilan but felt compelled to call them due to the actions of his coalition partners. He characterized the situation as "political theatre" orchestrated by UMNO, a major component of the Barisan Nasional (BN) pact.

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This is ‘wayang kulit’ (political theatre).

Anwar was referring to the withdrawal and subsequent retraction of support by 14 UMNO state assemblymen for Negeri Sembilan's chief minister, Aminuddin Harun. This move created political instability, forcing the dissolution of the state assembly on June 5 and setting snap polls for August 1, over two years ahead of the original schedule.

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We are forced to have an election so that the people can make the choice.

"We are forced to have an election so that the people can make the choice," Anwar stated during the Negeri Sembilan Pakatan Harapan (PH) election campaign launch. He criticized UMNO's "impatience" for pushing for early elections in both Negeri Sembilan and Johor, where BN also dissolved the state government despite having a year left before its term expired.

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To be frank, I never wanted a snap state election as we have a lot of work to do.

PH and BN are partners in the federal government but will now compete against each other in the Johor polls. Analysts suggest the Negeri Sembilan election will serve as a gauge of voter sentiment for PH. Anwar urged voters to grant PH a new mandate to ensure Aminuddin's reappointment as chief minister.

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However, we had to call for snap polls as we were left with no other option.