UMNO’s Ismail Lasim appointed new Negeri Sembilan chief minister following supermajority win
The 67-year-old was sworn in before state ruler Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir at Istana Besar Seri Menanti on Sunday (Aug 2), Malaysian media reports said.
Ismail Lasim was sworn in at Istana Besar Seri Menanti on Sunday (Aug 2). Photo: DATO' ISMAIL BIN LASIM FACEBOOK
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SEREMBAN, NEGERI SEMBILAN: Ismail Lasim has been appointed new chief minister for Negeri Sembilan, following a decisive victory by the Barisan Nasional (BN)-Perikatan Nasional (PN) alliance in the state election that marks the latest setback for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Pakatan Harapan (PH) pact.
A veteran United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) leader, the 67-year-old was sworn in before state ruler Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir at Istana Besar Seri Menanti on Sunday (Aug 2), local media reported.
The ceremony marked the formal start of a new state administration, reports added. BN deputy chairman Mohamad Hasan and other BN-PN representatives were also present.
Ismail had served as UMNO state information chief and Kuala Pilah chief.
As a gesture of appreciation, he declared Aug 3 a state holiday.
“This is to express our gratitude to all who had participated and worked hard during the recent campaign for the state election,” he told reporters during a press conference following his swearing-in ceremony.
"Many people are still exhausted, so tomorrow provides an opportunity for everyone to take a break," he added.
The results are viewed as a sign of reversal of the political landscape in the southwestern Malaysian state, driven by a powerful Malay-Muslim unity narrative put forth by BN and PN that severely eroded the support for PH.
BN won 18 seats while PN won seven seats, enabling the two coalitions to form the state government with a two-third supermajority.
PH, which formerly ruled Negeri Sembilan in a pact with BN prior to the state polls, won the remaining 11 seats.
Ismail won the assembly seat in Juasseh with a 4,034-vote majority, after garnering 6,904 votes - and takes over the post from PH’s Aminuddin Harun, who had led the state for eight years.
Speaking to Malaysian media outlets following PH’s defeat, Aminuddin said he had “no regrets” and was “proud to have encouraged voters to judge leaders based on their performance rather than race”.
“This is politics. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose,” he told reporters at a press conference.
