DAP Secretary-General Anthony Loke has strongly dismissed claims made by former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli alleging that the dissolution of the Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly was influenced by pressure from DAP.
He described the allegation as baseless, saying the decision to dissolve the state assembly was reached through consensus among Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders in Negeri Sembilan.
Loke said he was surprised and disappointed by Rafizi’s remarks, questioning the basis of the claim that DAP had exerted pressure on the matter.
He stressed that there was no situation where any party was forced into the decision, adding that discussions on holding state elections had been openly raised and agreed upon within PH leadership forums.
According to him, the idea of synchronising state elections with Johor was previously discussed in a convention attended by the Prime Minister and Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, who had also shown support for the proposal.
Loke further explained that the timing of the dissolution was also influenced by the need to obtain consent from the Yang di-Pertuan Besar before any official announcement could be made.
He also noted that the state government did not have a strong majority, as PH held 17 seats—short of a simple majority without Barisan Nasional support—making the political situation less stable.
Loke added that the decision to dissolve the assembly earlier was made to avoid potential political instability, including the risk of budget rejection in the state assembly.
He also criticised Rafizi’s repeated narrative, suggesting that the former minister often blamed DAP in various political issues, describing it as a recurring pattern in recent political discourse.
