KUALA LUMPUR – PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has defended Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun following Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) defeat in the Negeri Sembilan election, saying the former menteri besar remains an important figure for the party despite the setback.
Anwar said Aminuddin should not be held solely responsible for the coalition’s poor performance, stressing that the defeat was a collective failure involving the entire party leadership, including himself.
“On the other matters raised by our friends, I can consider them, but let us have a little patience and humility. This defeat was not because of Amin, but because of Anwar.
“I have never denied that it was because of the division chiefs, branch chiefs and all of us,” he said during his winding-up speech at the 2026 PKR National Congress held at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) in Ayer Keroh today.
He called on party members and grassroots machinery to acknowledge their shortcomings and work together to rebuild their strength following the electoral defeat.
Anwar said Aminuddin’s inability to meet the expectations of all voters should not be viewed as a reason to dismiss his contributions to the party.
“Aminuddin is a good friend of mine. I am not saying this to praise him excessively, but we have a figure who is modest, has good character, goes down to the ground, attends dawn and evening religious classes, and engages with the Malay, Chinese, Indian and Orang Asli communities.
“Certainly, he cannot satisfy everyone.
“But he was less successful. He lost a temporary battle, but my assessment, respect and pride in him are higher than before,” he said.
The Prime Minister said Aminuddin’s willingness to continue fighting despite the defeat demonstrated his commitment to the party’s cause.
“So learn from the experience of a person who has fought and sacrificed, who accepts reality with patience, but remains determined to continue the struggle for justice,” he said.
Earlier, Aminuddin said he was prepared to accept any decision by the party regarding his position as PKR Negeri Sembilan chairman.
He said he had taken note of calls from six PKR division chiefs in the state urging him to take responsibility for PH’s defeat in the recent state election.
Aminuddin, who is also Port Dickson MP, contested the Linggi state seat in the Negeri Sembilan election but lost in a three-way contest against incumbent Datuk Mohd Faizal Ramli of Barisan Nasional (BN) and Zamri Md Said of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
Mohd Faizal won the seat with 9,139 votes and a majority of 2,976 votes, while Aminuddin received 6,163 votes. Bersatu’s Datuk Zamri Md Said garnered 391 votes. – August 16, 2026