KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 -- Negeri Sembilan Umno has denied any conspiracy or prior arrangement with Perikatan Nasional (PN) to remove Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, insisting that its withdrawal of support was based solely on loss of confidence in the PKR vice-president.

Negeri Sembilan Umno chief Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias said the 14 Barisan Nasional assemblymen were not seeking to take over the state government, but had collectively lost confidence in Aminuddin's leadership.

The clarification comes after reports that BN and PN had explored cooperation in a bid to form a new state administration, Free Malaysia Today reported.

Jalaluddin said BN had initially been prepared to sit in opposition if PN's five assemblymen chose...