Royal boost for Pakatan

A member of the Negeri Sembilan royalty is now touring the state with the opposition to drum up support for the coming general election.

REMBAU: Pakatan Rakyat has received the backing of a Negeri Sembilan royalty, who believes that the curtain must fall on Umno and Barisan Nasional’s protracted reign.

Tunku Harmy Tunku Hannan, 57, cousin of current Yang DiPertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, also vowed to campaign for opposition candidates in the coming general election.

“Enough is enough! Umno and BN have been in power too long. Corruption is getting out of control,” he told a ceramah here.

“When corruption is beyond control, crime will also increase. Umno also encourages the slandering culture and this is very dangerous. If we don’t change, then nobody else can change us,” he said, drawing thunderous applause from the village folks gathered.

Tunku Harmy was once the chairman of the economic advisory committee of the Narathiwat Islamic Council in Thailand from 1998 to 2000.

‘Anwar’s sacking was my turning point’

During his speech, the 57-year-old royalty also explained why he left Umno and decided to back the opposition, led by former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.

“I was once held various positions in Negeri Sembilan Umno at the branch and division levels including in the Seremban Umno Youth Economic Bureau in the 1980s.

“When there was a crisis in Umno in 1987, I supported the Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Musa Hitam faction (against then party president Dr Mahathir Mohamad),” he said.

However, Tunku Harmy said he decided to quit Umno when the party was dissolved and re-registered as Umno Baru by Mahathir.

During the 1990 general election, he had backed the Tengku Razaleigh-led Semangat 46.

“The turning point was when Anwar was sacked as deputy prime minister and charged with sodomy in 1998. That was when I decided to support the opposition because I sympathised with Anwar and I hate slander,” he explained.

Tunku Harmy said that during the 1999, 2004 and 2008 general elections, he had supported the opposition but in a low-key manner.

“But this time I will campaign publicly and support Pakatan candidates,” he stressed.

Under the “Jom Ubah Demi Rakyat Negeri Sembilan” roadshow campaign, Tunku Harmy has teamed up with Seremban PKR deputy chief Dr Mohamad Rafie Abdul Malek, Port Dickson state assemblymen (PKR) M Ravi and Rembau PKR chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin.

Two more key members of the team are Sikamat state assemblyman Aminuddin Harun (PKR) and coordinator of Majlis Permuafakatan Keadilan Negeri Sembilan Norizam Yasin.

They would be joined by Negeri Sembilan PAS state commissioner and Paroi state assemblyman Mohd Taufek Abdul Ghani and other state PAS and DAP leaders.

Meanwhile, Badrul said the roadshow would be held throughout the state and the final event would be on April 29 in Seremban.

“We want to focus on the real issues plaguing the people. We will expose all the scandals and mismanagement by the government during this campaign,” he added.