For state leadership: (From left) Amirudin, Aminuddin and Chow
PETALING JAYA: While some parties think that putting up “poster boys” to be state chiefs – should they win the state elections – is a good tactic to woo voters, other parties are wary of undermining the Malay Rulers. They also fear such a move might backfire.
Pakatan Harapan has openly named the incumbents as its candidates for state leadership, with Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun and Chow Kon Yeow for Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Penang, respectively, should the coalition win the state elections there.
Pakatan’s unity government ally Barisan Nasional did not name anyone, with its national election director and Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan telling Umno leaders to win first, then talk.
Mohamad said that Umno decided not to name anyone as it had learnt its lesson from past experiences, referring to incidents when the party’s choice was not agreed to by the relevant palace.
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“We have to look back and be wiser from what happened in Perlis, Terengganu and Johor. We named a candidate, but another was appointed.
“It is the prerogative of the Malay Rulers to appoint the one they believe has the majority support of the state assembly as the state’s chief,” said Mohamad, who is also the Defence Minister.
In Perlis, a constitutional crisis occurred in 2008 when Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin refused to appoint the then long-time incumbent Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim as mentri besar, although his name was proposed by then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Instead, the Ruler appointed Datuk Seri Md Isa Sabu, another Umno state assemblyman.
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In the formation of the new Terengganu state government after the elections in 2008, Abdullah proposed Idris Jusoh as mentri besar – he had received the support of 23 of the 24 elected Barisan state assemblymen.
However, Sultan of Terengganu Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, who was also the Yang di-Pertuan Agong then, refused to re-appoint and swear in Idris.
On March 22, 2008, Terengganu announced the appointment of Kijal assemblyman Datuk Seri Ahmad Said as mentri besar instead.
In the last Johor state election in 2022, Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi was appointed Mentri Besar, despite the then incumbent Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad being touted by Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as the “poster boy” throughout the election campaign.
Selangor PKR vice-chairman and PKR legal bureau national chair Sivarasa Rasiah said that it is not “unusual” for a coalition to announce its candidates for state chiefs during an election.
Instead, he said that it would be detrimental to the coalitions that do not do so.
“It is not unusual. By stating a name, we are saying that we will propose that name to the Palace should we win. If there are coalitions that do not announce a name, it sends out the signal that the parties in the coalition cannot agree to one name as to who would be the mentri besar should they win.
“To a certain extent, announcing the name of a mentri besar – as Pakatan has done for Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Penang – tells the voters that this is the person who will run the state should the Malay Rulers agree when the coalition wins,” said Sivarasa, who is also the former Sungai Buloh MP.
In Kelantan, Umno state liaison chief and former Machang MP Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub said it was quite clear that Barisan was going into the six state elections with the image that it was a party of the people.
“The way Umno works has changed as the grassroots’ needs and wants have changed, too.
“We are no longer power-crazy and for the first time, 14 of the Umno division chiefs in Kelantan will not contest to make way for new faces. I myself, as Barisan state chief, decided not to contest.
“As leaders of the party who have stepped back from contesting, we will ensure that if we win a simple majority in Kelantan, it would be to continue the good policies and improve the policies that had failed.
“Should the mentri besar and executive councillors that we put up do not perform, we as party leaders will not hesitate to remove them.
“The only key performance index (KPI) for a Kelantan Barisan state government will be – be leaders who serve the people by all means,” said Ahmad Jazlan.
As for Perikatan Nasional, although it is the incumbent state governments of Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah, it, too, did not name any candidates as possible mentris besar.
Perikatan national election director and caretaker Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said PAS had always practised the “never put the cart before the horse” policy.
“It has always been like that for PAS. We will win first and then we will decide on the state government. Not the other way around.
“The voters of today, too, do not vote just because you have a ‘poster boy’ – they vote for their representatives based on the track record of the person in the state constituencies,” said Muhammad Sanusi.
In Selangor, former mentri besar and Perikatan state election co-director Datuk Seri Mohd Azmin Ali, who the media has named as the possible candidate for state chief should Perikatan topple Pakatan, said that an individual should not “overstep the Palace”.
“This is the prerogative of the Sultan and one should respect that as it is a constitutional matter,” said Azmin, who has denied he is eyeing the mentri besar post.
In Terengganu, a top Perikatan leader said it is better to be safe than sorry when negotiating these matters that should be left to the Malay Ruler of the state to decide.
“The party or coalition can only suggest or propose or even put it in black and white on a piece of paper to be sent to the Palace, but the decision would always be the Sultan’s.
“Thus, the matter needs to be handled with extra care,” said the leader who declined to be named.
