Non-Malays should not be concerned about being sidelined if Barisan Nasional (BN) wins the Negri Sembilan state election on Aug 1, as the coalition will remain the main decision-maker despite its cooperation with Perikatan Nasional (PN), said Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
The Negri Sembilan BN chairman said voters should not be influenced by claims from political opponents that non-Malays would lose their voice if BN and PN succeed in forming the state government.
He described BN’s position within the cooperation as similar to a major shareholder in a company, pointing out that the coalition would contest 25 seats, compared with PAS contesting five seats, Wawasan four seats and other parties contesting the remaining seats.
“BN remains the majority shareholder and non-Malays have no reason to be worried,” he said when met after attending a football tournament at Taman Badar Ekar, Rantau.
Mohamad claimed BN’s rivals were attempting to create fear among non-Malay voters over the cooperation between BN and PN, particularly regarding the concept of a “Malay unity” approach.
He added that among the 25 seats contested by BN, seven were allocated to MCA and two to MIC, while two of the 11 seats contested under PN involved non-Muslim candidates.
“There is nothing to worry about as our partners have also openly stated that the Menteri Besar position will remain with BN,” he said.
On voter response towards the BN-PN cooperation, Mohamad said the reception had been better compared with BN’s cooperation with Pakatan Harapan (PH) during the 2023 state election.
He said BN was hopeful that the positive response would be reflected in the ballot box, while adding that the party machinery had been working effectively by engaging with voters across the state.
Mohamad said the cooperation with PN was mainly a tactical arrangement aimed at gaining stronger support from Malay voters and avoiding competition between Malay-based parties.
He said a direct contest between UMNO and PAS could result in a split among Malay voters, which would eventually benefit a third party.
Meanwhile, responding to caretaker Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun’s remarks that Negri Sembilan’s investment performance under PH had surpassed BN’s manifesto target, Mohamad said the focus should be on maintaining consistent economic growth.
Aminuddin had claimed that the state had already exceeded BN’s five-year investment target of RM30 billion, after recording RM19 billion in investments last year and nearly RM13 billion in the first half of this year.
Mohamad said the high investment figures were partly contributed by federal government efforts, including bringing in a data centre project in Springhill.
He stressed that BN’s priority was to ensure sustainable growth for the state, which formed the basis of its manifesto.
The data centre campus and related infrastructure project is estimated to contribute around RM10 billion in long-term investment and construction value.
