Mohamad, also known as Tok Mat, said the distribution of positions should be made fairly and proportionately as practised in the unity government’s Cabinet, where he holds the post of foreign minister.
The former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar also said it was crucial for parties in the state government to respect one another, and that misgivings among coalition partners could have a negative effect at the grassroots level.
“As a representative of the partners who established the Negeri Sembilan state government, I feel disappointed because we promised at the federal level to manage the country together,” he was reported as saying by Sinar Harian.
“We (work) together in managing the state, and we must share (the positions) equally. That is why at the Cabinet level, if the higher education ministry portfolio is held by Pakatan Harapan (PH), the rural development portfolio is held by BN.
“It should be one for you, one for me; one for me, one for you. But in Negeri Sembilan… it’s not like that. It’s two for me, none for you. That’s not how it should be,” he said during the Negeri Sembilan state legislative assembly sitting yesterday.
BN currently occupies 14 of the 36 state seats in the state assembly while PH has 17 and PN has five. PH assemblymen occupy seven out of 11 seats on the executive council, including one held by menteri besar Aminuddin Harun, while BN holds four.
Mohamad said that while BN was trying its best to manage the state and the country together with its partners, it faced tough questions from its supporters on certain issues.
The Umno deputy president also said he was dissatisfied with the recent allocation of senatorships, which were both given to PH representatives.
“Wouldn’t it be better if the senator positions were shared – one for PH and one for BN?” said Mohamad.
“Decisions like this are not appropriate. I don’t want this to happen again. Respect our partners.”
Mohamad also said that all the agreements reached in discussions between PH and BN should be honoured.
He noted that Aminuddin, the Negeri Sembilan PH chairman, had said in a speech that “when we invest together, we gain together; when we lose, we lose together.”
“But here, the investments were not shared equally,” said Mohamad.
“One side invests and gains, the other side bears the loss.”