Pakatan presidential council to meet ahead of talks with BN, says Saifuddin Nasution amid speculation over N. Sembilan

SEPANG, May 5 — Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) presidential council will hold a meeting this evening before speaking to leaders of Barisan Nasional later today as the alliance between the two coalitions face a critical test in Negeri Sembilan.

PH secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will chair the meeting in Putrajaya, as well as PKR’s political bureau meeting beforehand.

The series of meetings will be held amid rumours that Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun could call for a snap election.

“Once these meetings are done PH and BN leaders will sit down to talk later this evening,” Saifuddin said briefly after inspecting operations at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1 here.

Earlier today, Umno president and Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi gave his assurance that the party’s Negeri Sembilan assemblymen will remain in the state’s governing unity coalition.

Zahid’s statement appeared to be a directive to the state’s liaison body that it would not withdraw from Aminuddin’s government.

Zahid was reported saying that the decision is final.

“We have no intention of becoming the opposition. Umno at the national level has decided that all 14 assemblymen will remain part of the unity government,” Bernama quoted him as saying.

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