Datuk Seri Dr Awaludin Said Appointed Speaker of 16th Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly

SEREMBAN, Aug 18 — Datuk Seri Dr Awaludin Said has been appointed as the Speaker of the 16th Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly today.

The motion for Awaludin’s election was proposed by Menteri Besar Datuk Ismail Lasim and seconded by Linggi state assemblyman Datuk Faizal Ramli. The swearing-in ceremony took place before state assembly secretary Mohd Amin Ludin.

Mohd Amin stated earlier that the assembly received a single nomination for the post. “I have received a nomination for the position of Speaker in accordance with Regulation 2, Order 7 (1) of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution. Every member who wants to propose the name of a member to be elected as Speaker must first ensure that the member is happy to serve if elected,” he said during the First (Special) Sitting of the First Term of the 16th Assembly at Wisma Negeri.

Dr Awaludin, 66, who serves as deputy chief of the Rembau UMNO Division, previously held the Speaker’s position from 2013 to 2018.

During the sitting, 35 out of 36 state assemblymen took their oaths of office. The government bloc comprises 25 assemblymen — 18 from Barisan Nasional (BN) and seven from Perikatan Nasional (PN) — while 11 assemblymen sit in the opposition bloc.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, who is the BN assemblyman for Rantau, was absent due to official business abroad and will be sworn in on an appointed date.

The assembly also appointed Paroi assemblyman Kamarol Ridzuan Mohd Zain as Deputy Speaker.

In his inaugural address, Dr Awaludin urged all assemblymen to prioritize the well-being of the people and translate their electoral mandate into effective public service, emphasizing that victory at the polls carries a solemn duty.

“The election has passed, now it is time for us to move forward together and focus all our efforts on the trust given by the people,” he said.

He highlighted the importance of upholding decorum and harmony within the House to ensure productive sittings, while encouraging assemblymen to use the upcoming National Day celebrations as a platform to bolster unity.

“The well-being of the people must be translated into tangible results through policies and actions that benefit all people regardless of background,” Dr Awaludin added.

In the state election held on August 1, BN won 18 seats and PN secured seven seats, establishing a two-thirds majority in the 36-seat assembly.

–NMT