KUALA LUMPUR – Umno Negeri Sembilan chairman Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias, who is at the centre of the state’s current political turmoil, has long been linked with backing Perikatan Nasional (PN), despite asserting that he has never acted against his party.
As a member of Umno’s Supreme Council, Jalaluddin had previously supported then PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for the post of Prime Minister.
Following the hung Parliament that came about after the 15th General Election back in 2022, he openly proposed that Barisan Nasional form a government with PN and other parties, leaving out Pakatan Harapan (PH).
“The issue should be a collective responsibility for Dewan Rakyat members from BN, PN, Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang), GPS, GRS, Independents and others,” he said as quoted by Malay Mail Online back in November 2022.
The following year, Jalaluddin explained that his opposition to PH was driven by what he saw as the coalition’s underwhelming performance during its 22 months in federal power.
“Anyhow, the wellbeing of the people and the prosperity of the country must be continued with the leadership of a government that is stable and experienced,” he added, as quoted by Malay Mail Online.
He defended the decision by 10 Umno MPs, including himself, to sign statutory declarations supporting Muhyiddin as Prime Minister, insisting that it did not constitute a betrayal.
“I contested under the Barisan Nasional banner. When the party makes a decision, we abide by it. However, once the party has made its decision, if we continue to hold on to our previous stand, that would be a betrayal of the party's decision,” Jalaluddin said, as reported by FMT.
While he maintains his loyalty to Umno, Jalaluddin’s past positions have frequently aligned with PN — a record that has come under renewed spotlight amid the latest Negeri Sembilan developments.
The issue began on April 19 when the four Undangs (chieftains) of the state announced that they were “deposing” the reigning Yang di-Pertuan Besar, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, and named Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar as his successor.
However, no clear explanation or supporting evidence for the decision was made public.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun rejected the move, calling it unconstitutional. He also pointed out that the lead chieftain, Datuk Mubarak Dohak, had already been stripped of his title a few days earlier, further calling into question the validity of the declaration.
The situation escalated politically, leading to the indefinite postponement of the State Legislative Assembly on April 23 after the Undangs boycotted the opening ceremony.
Amid the growing crisis, all 14 Umno assemblymen, led by Jalaluddin, withdrew their support for Aminuddin.
Jalaluddin said the party had lost confidence in the Menteri Besar due to his handling of the controversy involving the Undangs’ attempt to remove Tuanku Muhriz.
He added that many felt the Menteri Besar could have acted earlier to resolve the situation, expressing disappointment over how events unfolded.
This withdrawal placed Aminuddin’s administration in a precarious position as PH holds 17 seats in the 36-member State Legislative Assembly, falling two seats short of a simple majority.
Barisan Nasional controls 14 seats, while Perikatan Nasional holds five.
In response to the political uncertainty, Tuanku Muhriz decided to retain Aminuddin as Menteri Besar for the time being, pending a clear determination of whether he still commands majority support in the state assembly.
The State Legislative Assembly, initially scheduled to continue from Monday until Wednesday, was later postponed to a later date.
Commenting on the delay, Jalaluddin warned that prolonged postponement would further destabilise the state government.
He said that “If they persist for six months (in postponing the State Assembly sitting), the government will be managed under unstable conditions and various problems will arise, which could lead to uncertainty in the state’s administration.
“Moreover, the consequences of that could potentially open the door to various new problems. Therefore, a special State Assembly sitting must be called to decide on all the political crises taking place for the sake of the stability and interests of the state government,” he said, as quoted by Berita Harian. - April 30, 2026
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