Negeri Sembilan chief Ismail Lasim retracts letter questioning ruler’s position

SEREMBAN – Negeri Sembilan chief minister Ismail Lasim has confirmed that he has written to the Malay Rulers to retract a letter sent on Sept 17, in which he claimed that Muhriz Munawir was no longer the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, or ruler, of the Malaysian state.“Yes, I can confirm that I wrote to the Malay Rulers,” he said at the state-level Deepavali open house in Negeri Sembilan.“The letter is self-explanatory. Those who have read it will understand (its contents).”In the two-page letter dated Nov 10 addressed to the Keeper of the Ruler’s Seal, Syed Danial Syed Ahmad, Ismail said the decision for the move was made unanimously alongside all 10 former members of the state executive council.When asked if this was the first step towards resolving the state constitutional and royal succession crisis, Ismail expressed confidence that it was.To another question, Ismail said he had written to the palace to seek an audience with Muhriz and to get his consent to officially open the sitting of the state legislative assembly planned for Nov 26.“We are waiting for Tuanku’s consent. If Tuanku agrees, then we will proceed to have the opening on Nov 26,” he said.Ismail also explained that the date for the opening of the assembly on Nov 26, the tabling of the state budget the following day, and the sitting of the house for four days from Nov 30 was proposed by the state government and that they can be changed.“What is important is that we will have to table the budget before the end of the year,” he said.Earlier today, the Negeri Sembilan government officially withdrew its letter sent to the Malay Rulers regarding the state’s royal institution, reaffirming its commitment to uphold the state Constitution and customary traditions.The letter noted that the retraction of the earlier Sept 17 correspondence took into account a statement issued by the Malay Rulers on Oct 14 as well as a Seremban High Court order dated June 5.The court order had maintained the status quo regarding the position of Negeri Sembilan ruler Muhriz Munawir.In the letter, Ismail said the decision was made to uphold the supremacy of the Laws of the Constitution of Negeri Sembilan 1959, preserve the order of constitutional monarchy, and ensure the continuity of state administration runs in a peaceful and orderly manner.On Sept 17, Ismail confirmed that the state executive council had endorsed an April 17 proclamation to remove Muhriz as Negri Sembilan’s ruler – a document signed by one Undang (ruling chieftain) and three other ruling chiefs whose positions were in dispute.He then sent a formal letter to the Conference of Rulers declaring Nadzaruddin Ja’afar as the “new” state ruler.In the Nov 10 letter, Ismail and the state’s 10 former executive council members reiterated their commitment to always uphold custom (adat) and respect the position and authority of the royal institution within Negeri Sembilan’s governance system.They added that they took note of the Malay Rulers’ call for all differences to be resolved through lawful, authoritative, and credible channels in a civil and customary manner.“We are of the view that efforts toward a resolution must be carried out with full responsibility, in order to maintain the harmony and stability of Negeri Sembilan and prioritise the well-being of the people,” the letter stated.The letter was signed by Ismail and co-signed by all 10 former state executive council members.They are Mohd Faizal Ramli, Zaifulbahri Idris, Mustapha Nagoor, Siow Kong Choon, Siti Nur Umaira Hasim, Mohd Asna Amin, Mohd Razi Mohd Ali, Suhaimizan Bizar, Mohd Fairuz Mohd Isa, and Razali Abu Samah.Asked about the still-vacant executive council positions, Ismail said he would only be able to comment once he gets an audience with Muhriz.In response to another question about whether the 10 former members of the state executive council will withdraw an originating summons at the Seremban High Court and a constitutional reference application at the Federal Court to challenge Muhriz’s revocation of their appointments, Ismail said he had no knowledge of that.“Those are court proceedings and I do not know about them,” he said.Muhriz had revoked the appointments of the 10 executive council members effective Sept 20, for violating their sworn oath of allegiance and loyalty to the Ruler and the royal institution.The 10 who were sworn in on Aug 7 had pledged loyalty to Muhriz, vowed to uphold the sovereignty of the state constitution, and acknowledged the authority of the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang.However, their decision to endorse a proclamation supposedly removing Muhriz and recognising Nadzaruddin as the new ruler directly violated that oath. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK