SEREMBAN (July 19): Pakatan Harapan (PH) has set a target of winning at least 23 of the 36 seats in the Negeri Sembilan state election on Aug 1 to secure a stronger and more stable mandate to govern the state, said its deputy chairman Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

Loke, who also DAP secretary general, said the coalition currently has 17 assemblymen and would require at least 19 seats to secure a simple majority, but stressed that a larger mandate was necessary to ensure a stable administration.

“Currently we have 17 seats. Seventeen is not enough to form a majority. We need at least 19 for a simple majority. But with 19, anything can happen. So, to be on the safe side, we must aim for PH to win at least 23 seats.

"We have conducted a study based on the demographics of the areas and the voters; there are seats we can win, and the target of 23 seats is realistic,” he said during a PH dinner here on Sunday.

Also present were DAP national chairman Gobind Singh Deo, Negeri Sembilan DAP secretary Cha Kee Chin and DAP Women’s wing chief Teo Nie Ching.

Loke, who is also the Seremban member of Parliament and assemblyman for Chennah (N.01), said PH is also seeking a fresh mandate to continue the Negeri Sembilan administration under Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, whom he described as an honest and humble leader capable of leading an inclusive state government.

“We want to retain Aminuddin Harun as the menteri besar because he has done nothing wrong. He is not corrupt, he has not abused his position and he has always been a humble leader who is willing to work with everyone.

"PH is an inclusive government — a government that represents all races: Malays, Chinese, Indians...we want to look after the people of Negeri Sembilan regardless of race or religion. This is the spirit of PH,” he said, adding that a stable government was essential to ensuring continuity in development projects, including efforts to improve connectivity between Seremban and Kuala Lumpur.

At the national level, he urged Malaysians to objectively assess Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership, saying that the prime minister had worked hard to strengthen Malaysia’s international standing and expand its diplomatic and economic ties.

Loke said Malaysia’s strong ties with countries including China, the United States, India, Türkiye, Brazil and Russia had helped strengthen international trade and support the country’s continued economic growth.

“Please be objective. I hope that we all be fair to our prime minister. At least, he has represented Malaysia well and has made a lot of effort to improve our foreign relationship with the whole world.

“That is why Malaysia has not experienced fuel shortages like some other countries. We continue to enjoy a stable supply because we maintain good relations with oil-producing countries,” he added.

Find out all you need to know about the 2026 Negeri Sembilan election here.

Uploaded by Liza Shireen Koshy