This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on June 8, 2026 - June 14, 2026

In April, Negeri Sembilan was dragged into the spotlight of Malaysian politics in an attempt by the four state chieftains (Undang Yang Empat) to replace the 11th Yang di-Pertuan Besar, followed by a separate attempt by 14 Umno assemblymen to remove the sitting Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun of PKR.

That attempt to remove Aminuddin, led by Umno’s Datuk Jalaluddin Alias, did not succeed, as Aminuddin said the ruler, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, decreed for him to remain as MB until the end of his term, by late 2028.

But the damage was done, as cracks widened between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH), both of which want to claim the state as their own.

For PH, Negeri Sembilan is significant, as it is the third state with its own menteri besar, after Penang and Selangor. Perak, at some point, was under Pakatan Rakyat, but the chief ministers at the time were from PAS.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s return to frontline politics in 2018 also came through Negeri Sembilan, specifically the Port Dickson parliamentary seat, after incumbent Danyal Balagopal Abdullah resigned in October that year to trigger a by-election and make way for Anwar to contest.

The stakes are high for BN’s coalition members Umno, MCA and MIC, which last won the state in 2013 with 22 seats versus Pakatan Rakyat’s 14.

Umno would be keen to reclaim the menteri besar post — which would become its fifth today, after Pahang, Johor, Melaka and Perak. Umno holds 14 of the 36 state seats, but eight were won by narrow margins amid Perikatan Nasional’s strong challenge in 2023.

MCA and MIC may now contest after being sidelined in 2023 during the BN-PH unity government partnership. At the time, all 10 of MCA’s traditional seats were contested by incumbents DAP and PKR, while MIC’s two seats were given to DAP and Umno. The unity government won all 12 of those seats.

On June 5, the Election Commission finally received a notification for the dissolution of the state assembly. An election will test BN’s and PH’s hold on their traditional bases, PN’s Malay vote strength despite internal fractures, and whether new entrants can convert disillusionment into seats — offering an early glimpse of Malaysia’s next electoral realignment.

Read also:
Negeri Sembilan: Election War Drums Beating Amid Palace Tussle: Negeri Sembilan dissolves assembly, but the political and palace tussles may end up in court
Negeri Sembilan: Election War Drums Beating Amid Palace Tussle: PH faces test as BN/Umno seek to wrest power amid palace turmoil
Politics, palace and power: The road to dissolution
Negeri Sembilan: Election War Drums Beating Amid Palace Tussle: Negeri Sembilan state seat composition over the years

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