The political temperature in Negeri Sembilan is heating up after Anthony Loke Siew Fook openly backed the dissolution of the state assembly, saying fresh elections are now the “best solution” to end the growing political turmoil gripping the state.
The DAP secretary-general said the current situation had become increasingly unstable following UMNO-BN assemblymen’s move to withdraw support, making it difficult for the Unity Government to continue operating with confidence.
According to Anthony, the people should now be given the power to decide who deserves to govern Negeri Sembilan moving forward.
“Once elections are called, we will naturally compete against one another again. At the end of the day, it is the rakyat who must decide which coalition should form the next state government,” he said during a programme celebrating 406 outstanding SPM students in Seremban on Sunday.
His remarks came shortly after UMNO deputy president Mohamad Hasan — better known as Tok Mat — also suggested dissolving the Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly as the most effective way to resolve the crisis and return the mandate to voters.
Despite UMNO-BN continuing to publicly claim support for the Unity Government, Anthony warned that the administration could still face serious risks during the upcoming state assembly sitting, including the possibility of being toppled or having its budget rejected.
He stressed that such uncertainty could damage public confidence and trigger endless political speculation.
“We only have until October before the next state assembly sitting. Anything can happen inside the Dewan,” he said, adding that PH did not want to gamble with the stability of the state government.
The Negeri Sembilan DAP chairman also revealed that he had personally proposed the dissolution plan to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during the PH Convention in Johor Bahru last week.
However, Anthony clarified that the final decision ultimately rests with Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun after discussions with PH’s top leadership.
Adding more fuel to political speculation, Anthony disclosed that Pakatan Harapan in Negeri Sembilan is already preparing for the possibility of holding state elections simultaneously with Johor, which is widely rumoured to be heading towards an early state poll as well.
He said a joint election involving Johor, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan could also help reduce operational costs while streamlining the election process.
Anthony also hinted that PH would not be afraid to contest alone if necessary, pointing out that the coalition had previously governed Negeri Sembilan independently from 2018 to 2023.
He reminded reporters that even during the political chaos sparked by the “Sheraton Move” in 2020, the PH-led state government managed to survive despite controlling only 20 seats.
The veteran DAP leader stressed that political realities differ from state to state, noting that UMNO-BN Johor’s intention to contest all 56 state seats was not surprising despite their cooperation with PH at the federal level.
“In Negeri Sembilan, support for the Menteri Besar has already been withdrawn. If elections happen, then naturally we will have to face each other,” he said.
