N Sembilan crisis: AGC rejects state secretary suspension; rival ruler to hold an audience

Published: Sep 23, 2026 8:45 AM

The Attorney-General's Chambers has rejected a move by Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim to suspend the state government secretary and legal adviser.

Meanwhile, Ismail (above) will lead a delegation this morning to have an audience with rival claimant to the state throne Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja'afar.

The Attorney-General's Chambers has rejected a move by Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim to suspend the state government secretary and legal adviser.

Meanwhile, Ismail (above) will lead a delegation this morning to have an audience with rival claimant to the state throne Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja'afar.

The state government appears to be heading towards an endgame, and it’s unclear whether federal powers can continue thwarting their plans to install Tunku Nadzaruddin as ruler.

In a statement last night, the AGC said plainly that the menteri besar and state cabinet did not have authority to suspend state secretary Zafir Ibrahim and state legal adviser Muzalmah Mustapha Kamal - both are federal civil servants.

It said any move to replace them must go through the Public Service Commission and Judicial and Legal Service Commission respectively.

Attorney General's Chambers HQ office building generic Jabatan Peguam Negara 151222 Attorney-General's Chambers AGC

This, it said, was enshrined under Article 37 of the state constitution, which states: "There shall be constituted the offices of state secretary, state legal adviser and state financial officer; and the appointments thereto shall be made by the appropriate service commission from amongst members of any of the relevant public services."

Yesterday, Ismail named state financial officer Masri Razali as acting state secretary and lawyer Fahmi Adilah as acting state legal adviser, pending permanent replacements.

The move is seen as key to getting Tunku Nadzaruddin's ascension legally gazetted - a move which Zafir had refused to comply with.

Further, the state secretary also has control of the state government office building. There might be tensions today if both Zafir and Masri turn up for work today as state secretary.

Separately, the press were invited to an audience between Ismail, the state exco, and Tunku Nadzaruddin and the rebel chieftain group which is backing him today.

The meeting will be held at the Tuanku Ja'afar Royal Gallery in Seremban. Other BN and Perikatan Nasional state lawmakers are also expected to attend.

Meanwhile, a demonstration in support of embattled ruler Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir is also expected to take place outside the gallery at the same time as the audience.

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Perhaps there is no better time than now to pursue meaningful institutional reform to address the over-centralisation of power in Putrajaya 1. State Secretaries should be appointed by and accountable to the state government, or the State Public Service Commission—not the Federal Public Service Commission. 2. State Legal Advisers should be appointed by and accountable to the state government—not the Federal Government. 3. Where necessary, the Federal Constitution and relevant laws should be amended to transfer these powers from federal institutions to state authorities. At a time when the federal government is structurally dependent on regional support, isn’t this precisely the moment to pursue genuine federal–state institutional reform??

PurpleCat945210:16 AM, 23 Sep 2026

What a mess!

Koel10:12 AM, 23 Sep 2026

Everyone involved in their plan to overthrown current Yang DiPertua of NS should be charged for their rebellious act. this is unacceptable. What did the ruler did wrong? Spit it out otherwise these people should be put in jail.

Multi Racial10:11 AM, 23 Sep 2026

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PurpleCat945210:16 AM, 23 Sep 2026

What a mess!

Koel10:12 AM, 23 Sep 2026

Multi Racial10:11 AM, 23 Sep 2026

I want a straight answer: why is there an attempt to guling Tuanku Muhriz, and who stands to gain from it? What do the people of Negeri Sembilan gain? On 9 September, Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim said he had signed the proclamation under duress and that it was invalid. A week later, his administration moved to gazette that same change of ruler. What changed? The State Secretary’s Office refused to gazette it after seeking legal advice. The EXCO then announced the suspension of the State Secretary and State Legal Adviser, although the Attorney General’s Chambers says the EXCO has no power to suspend them. Now Tuanku Muhriz has revoked the EXCO appointments, and the Menteri Besar disputes that decision. People are hesitant to use the word derhaka. So let us ask the harder question: who is acting within the Constitution here, and who is trying to push past it? Winning an election gives politicians a mandate to govern. It does not give them a mandate to decide who the ruler is. The people of Negeri Sembilan deserve an honest explanation and a lawful resolution.

BrownJaguar586910:07 AM, 23 Sep 2026

If this is not “derhaka”, then what is? Politicians are trying to sideline the sitting Yang di-Pertuan Besar, push through another ruler, and bypass constitutional procedures when officials refuse to cooperate. he AGC has already stated that the Menteri Besar and State Exco cannot unilaterally remove the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, and now it has also rejected their attempt to suspend the State Secretary and State Legal Adviser. Whatever our political loyalties, this should concern every Malaysian who believes in the Rule of Law and the constitutional monarchy. A ruler cannot simply be treated like a political office-holder who can be removed and replaced according to the wishes of the government of the day. This is bigger than party politics. It is about the Constitution, the Rule of Law and the integrity of the monarchy itself. If the same thing were done to a ruler they supported, many would be screaming “derhaka” by now. So why the silence? Respect for the monarchy must be consistent, not selective. No politician or party is above the Constitution.

GreenCheetah165809:48 AM, 23 Sep 2026

This is getting to be a circus and there must be finality.

WhitePony985509:45 AM, 23 Sep 2026

I hope the press boycotts this invitation in support of the Tuanku. The Chieftains claim that the decision to remove was made due to misconduct by Tuanku Muhriz, though they did not elaborate. What was the misconduct by Tuanku other than the state advisory body on Malay Customs stripping one of the four chieftains, Datuk Mubarak Thahak, the Undang of Sungei Ujong district, of his position on April 17. His removal, was tied to 33 alleged breaches of tradition and law, was backdated to May 13, 2025. He has not explained his breaches and he still remains as a Chieftain. The MB should not have got involved in this problem but stuck to his original stance of supporting the Tuanku. Let the Chieftains make all the noise they want to as they are still condoning and supporting Mubarak inspite of the 33 alleged breaches of tradition and law charges hanging over him. Can the AGC charge him for these breaches?

GanMu09:44 AM, 23 Sep 2026

If this is not “derhaka”, then what is? Politicians are trying to sideline the sitting Yang di-Pertuan Besar, push through another ruler, and bypass constitutional procedures when officials refuse to cooperate. This is bigger than party politics. It is about the Constitution, the Rule of Law and the integrity of the monarchy itself. The AGC has already stated that the Menteri Besar and State Exco cannot unilaterally remove the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, and now it has also rejected their attempt to suspend the State Secretary and State Legal Adviser. Yet efforts continue to recognise and install another ruler. Whatever our political loyalties, this should concern every Malaysian who believes in the Rule of Law and the constitutional monarchy. A ruler cannot simply be treated like a political office-holder who can be removed and replaced according to the wishes of the government of the day. If the same thing were done to a ruler they supported, many would be screaming “derhaka” by now. So why the silence? Respect for the monarchy must be consistent - not selective. No politician or party is above the Constitution.

GreenCheetah165809:34 AM, 23 Sep 2026

In such a situation, watch out for a proclamation of emergency. It had happened more than once before, in Sarawak and in Kelantan. There is the Indian example of direct rule by the President imposed upon a state, on the advice of the Prime Minister.

XED09:29 AM, 23 Sep 2026

We are having a crisis in N9 and pmx sees it fit to travel overseas. I wonder where is his priorities?

PKC09:22 AM, 23 Sep 2026

In the end everyone just greedy for power with no regard as to how they look to the rakyat.

Just Common Sense08:50 AM, 23 Sep 2026

Timely for the AGC to clarify. The state secretary comes under the supervisory jurisdiction of the KSN, and the state legal adviser under the supervisory jurisdiction of the AG. They can’t be suspended or dismissed by the Menteri Besar. The MB can merely request them to be replaced by the KSN and AG,. Under Article 132 of the Federal Constitution, which defines the public services, the state secretary and state financial officer are classified under the general federal public service (Administrative and Diplomatic Service/PTD), while the state legal adviser is classified under the Judicial and Legal Service. Article 135(1) of the Federal Constitution is the primary safeguard protecting civil servants from political interference. It states that no public servant can be "dismissed or reduced in rank by an authority subordinate to that which, at the time of the dismissal or reduction, has power to appoint a member of that service of equal rank". Articles 138 and 139 of the Federal Constitution establish the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (JLSC) and the Public Services Commission (PSC). Because the PSC is the appointing authority for the state secretary and the JLSC is the appointing authority for the state legal adviser, only these federal commissions have the legal jurisdiction to execute disciplinary action, suspend, or terminate these officers. Because the Menteri Besar and the state EXCO are legally "subordinate" (or entirely external) to these federal commissions regarding employment jurisdiction, their attempts to unilaterally issue suspension notices carry no administrative weight under Article 135.

Warm Skies08:48 AM, 23 Sep 2026