Aminuddin mounts strategic assault on Linggi

 

Caretaker Negeri Sembilan menteri besar Aminuddin Harun is set to mount a high-stakes challenge against BN and Umno by moving from his Sikamat seat to contest the Linggi state constituency in the upcoming state election.

Malaysiakini learned that Aminuddin first informed his intentions during internal state-level discussions before securing the green light from the PKR national leadership.

Several party sources confirmed the plan to Malaysiakini.

This comes as Harapan prepares to unveil its list of election candidates at Dataran Melang in Kuala Pilah tonight.

The high-profile event is expected to be attended by Prime Minister and Pakatan Harapan chairperson Anwar Ibrahim, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, and Aminuddin himself, who serves as a PKR national vice-president and state Harapan chief.

Why Linggi?

Linggi is one of the five state constituencies nestled under the Port Dickson parliamentary seat, which is held by Aminuddin at the federal level.

The seat was won by BN’s Faizal Ramli in the 2023 state election, where he defeated Perikatan Nasional’s Zambri Mat Said.

Faizal Ramli

Harapan did not contest the seat in 2023 due to an electoral pact with BN under the federal Madani government setup.

The last time Harapan contested Linggi was during the 2018 general election, coming in second place.

However, during the 15th general election, Linggi voters casting their ballots for the Port Dickson federal seat were quite evenly split, with Harapan coming in first with 36 percent of votes, followed by BN (33 percent) and PN (29 percent).

During the 2023 state election, where BN and Harapan worked as a team, Umno won the seat with 55 percent of votes, while PN’s vote share rose to 45 percent.

This is believed to be due to protest votes from Umno supporters who were uncomfortable with the Harapan-BN Madani pact.

Demographically, Linggi is a predominantly Malay-majority seat, making up 60 percent of the electorate. Chinese and Indians account for almost 18 percent of the electorate each, with the remaining voters either Orang Asli or other ethnic minorities.

Aminuddin’s decision to move represents a massive shift in his political trajectory. Sikamat is widely regarded as a PKR fortress and one of the safest seats for Harapan in Negeri Sembilan.

Aminuddin first captured Sikamat during the political tsunami of 2008 and has held it for four consecutive terms, serving as its long-term assemblyperson.

Insiders view Aminuddin’s departure from his safe haven as a courageous and strategic gamble to take the fight directly to BN’s turf. The move is aimed at ensuring Harapan maintains its dominance in Negeri Sembilan.

Should Aminuddin succeed in wresting Linggi away from Umno, it will significantly elevate state Harapan’s bargaining leverage and give the coalition a much stronger mandate to spearhead the formation of the next state government.

However, this might be an uphill task if PN doesn’t contest in Linggi, allowing Umno to consolidate Malay votes.

Bumpy ride ahead?

Even Sikamat may not be safe this time around.

Despite being in Harapan stronghold Seremban, voting patterns in Sikamat during the 15th general election showed Harapan support here dropping to 41 percent.

Meanwhile, shifting demographics won’t be Aminuddin’s only challenge.

The Javanese leader has played a key role in the Negeri Sembilan ruler crisis, having blocked attempts by the four ruling chieftains to remove Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir as Yang di-Pertuan Besar.

The ruler crisis remains unresolved, with Tuanku Muhriz facing a challenge from a second claimant to the throne - Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Jaafar - while the four customary territories are also fighting their own battles for control over the chieftain post.

This may cause some Minangkabau constituents to vote against Aminuddin over the perception that he had bungled Adat Perpatih customary laws, which led to the crisis.  - FMT