Negeri sembilan: The Negeri Sembilan government has announced an occasional holiday tomorrow (Aug 3) as a token of appreciation to the residents and all parties who contributed to the successful execution of the 16th state election, which concluded recently.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Menteri Besar Datuk Ismail Lasim confirmed that the decision received the consent of the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir. In his first press conference as Menteri Besar after the swearing-in ceremony, Ismail expressed gratitude to Tuanku Muhriz for his consent regarding Ismail's appointment as well as for allowing the announcement of the special holiday. He acknowledged that many individuals are still recovering from the election activities, and the holiday offers an opportunity for a much-needed break.

Earlier, Ismail, aged 67, officially took his oath of office as Menteri Besar before Tuanku Muhriz at Istana Besar Seri Menanti. The recent Negeri Sembilan state election results revealed that Barisan Nasional (BN) secured 18 seats in the State Legislative Assembly, while Perikatan Nasional (PN) won seven seats. This enabled the two coalitions to form the state government with a two-thirds majority. A total of 36 state seats were contested, with 103 candidates participating in the election.