Jalaluddin Alias

Jalaluddin bin Alias (born 5 September 1963, Jawi: جلال الدين بن ألياس) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Jelebu since May 2018 and the Member of the Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Pertang since August 2023, a seat he previously held from 2013 to 2018. He served as Senior Member of the Negeri Sembilan State Executive Council (EXCO) under Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun from August 2023 to April 2026, Deputy Minister of Federal Territories under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from August 2021 to November 2022, and Member of the Negeri Sembilan State EXCO under Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan from 2013 to 2018, Chairman of UDA Holdings Berhad from 2020 to 2021 and the MLA for Klawang from March 2004 to March 2008. He is a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), a component party of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. He also serves as the State Chairman of BN and UMNO of Negeri Sembilan and the Division Chief of UMNO of Jelebu.

Politics

Jalaluddin contested and won the Pertang state assembly state in the 2013 general election. Following the election, he was appointed as state executive councillor for Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government under the leadership of Menteri Besar, Mohamad Hasan.

He contested and won the Jelebu parliamentary seat in 2018. He succeeded Zainudin Ismail, who died due to complications from a brain tumour he suffered in the previous year.

Jalaluddin is a supporter for co-operation between Barisan Nasional, which UMNO leads, and Perikatan Nasional.

Controversy In April 2026, Jalaluddin attracted national attention after leading 14 members of the Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly from the United Malays National Organisation within Barisan Nasional in withdrawing their support for Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun. The move significantly altered the state's political landscape and contributed to the early dissolution of the Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly in June 2026, paving the way for the 2026 Negeri Sembilan state election held in August.

The political developments coincided with a constitutional and customary governance dispute involving the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz, and the Undang Yang Empat. Jalaluddin stated that his party's actions were intended to prevent the monarchy from becoming the subject of prolonged public controversy. However, critics argued that the withdrawal of support carried political implications for the administration of Aminuddin, which was widely regarded as supportive of Muhriz's position.

During the election campaign, Jalaluddin defended the political cooperation between Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional, including the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). He stated that the cooperation would not affect the rights of non-Malay communities and rejected claims that PAS's participation in the alliance would alter the position of other ethnic groups. His remarks received mixed reactions from political parties and the public. During the campaign, Jalaluddin also became the subject of controversy after a video of one of his speeches circulated widely on social media. In the speech, he referred to "Chinese religion" and "Tamil religion", remarks that attracted criticism on the grounds that they were factually inaccurate. Around the same period, banners displaying his image alongside the slogan Barisan Nasional Menang, Muhriz Turun ("Barisan Nasional Wins, Muhriz Steps Down") appeared in several locations. Jalaluddin denied any involvement in the production or display of the banners and described them as an attempt by unidentified parties to influence public perception.

Following the election, Jalaluddin's absence from the swearing-in ceremony of the new Menteri Besar, Ismail Lasim, at Seri Menanti Palace on 2 August 2026 sparked public speculation. Some observers claimed that he had deliberately boycotted the ceremony because he was disappointed at not being appointed Menteri Besar, having previously been regarded as Barisan Nasional's leading candidate for the post. Jalaluddin denied the allegation, joking that his "body was not sick" over the outcome. He explained that his absence was solely due to logistical factors, stating that the invitation from the state protocol department had only been received at 4.50 a.m. on the day of the ceremony. The controversy continued few days later when Jalaluddin announced that he would decline any appointment to the Negeri Sembilan State Executive Council. He claimed that the decision was intended to make way for a new generation of capable Barisan Nasional leaders to serve in the state administration.

Election results

Honours Honours of Malaysia