“Of course, this is a complicated issue involving various aspects, and it is beyond our responsibilities. What is happening today is not caused by us,” he told reporters after attending the 24th Negeri Sembilan DAP Annual Convention here today.

Also present were Negeri Sembilan Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun and state DAP chairman J. Arul Kumar.

Loke, who is also Seremban MP, said Barisan Nasional (BN) held a majority in the Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly and there was no reason for the coalition not to continue governing as usual.

He said the decree by the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, for the Menteri Besar to submit new names to fill vacancies in the state executive council (Exco) had also paved the way for the administration to continue.

“So, there is actually no problem. They can appoint other people, but it is up to them to decide. It is certainly unusual for a state government to have only a Menteri Besar without any Exco members,” he said.

Loke said the absence of Exco members could affect the smooth running of the state administration, as many decisions and administrative matters required approval by the State Executive Council.

Earlier, in his speech at the convention, Loke said DAP needed to be prepared for any eventuality amid the uncertain political situation in the state.

He stressed that DAP should focus on strengthening the party, preparing its machinery and continuing to serve the people, rather than devoting too much attention to the problems faced by its political opponents.

Loke also praised the PH-led Negeri Sembilan administration under Aminuddin’s leadership over the past eight years, saying it had not been embroiled in any corruption scandals.

He said this was a record to be proud of, as the integrity of leaders and the administration was tested when they were in power.

Meanwhile, Aminuddin said in his speech that Negeri Sembilan PH aimed to win several additional seats and recapture the Tampin parliamentary seat in the next general election as part of efforts to regain public support for the coalition.

He said achieving these goals would require the continued commitment of party leaders and machinery to engage with the people on the ground and demonstrate their ability to champion the public interest.

-- BERNAMA