Duress, delay, then endorsement: N Sembilan MB must answer for role in royal crisis - Bar

Several pressing questions remain unanswered in the crisis engulfing Negeri Sembilan’s royal, customary, and government institutions, with Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim at the centre of many of the unresolved issues.

Malaysian Bar president Anand Raj has sought an explanation for why Ismail (above) announced the state administration’s acceptance of an April 19 proclamation by rebel territorial chieftains to remove Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir as the Yang di-Pertuan Besar.

Anand noted that Ismail’s predecessor, Aminuddin Harun, previously declared the proclamation invalid, while Ismail himself had claimed to be under duress when he signed a document affirming the undangs’ decision.

“If (Ismail) was coerced or signed the purported proclamation under duress, the public is entitled to know by whom, how, and why, as well as why he lodged a police report on Sept 8, some five weeks after the purported proclamation?

“Further, why did he then later endorse the purported proclamation?” Anand asked in a statement today.

READ MORE: N Sembilan govt gazetting change of ruler, says MB

On Sept 8, the disputed undangs made public a form Ismail had signed on Aug 3, a day after he was sworn in as menteri besar.

Ismail had said he lodged a police report on the same day the form was made public, but has yet to explain why he waited more than a month after signing it to file the report.

He has also not explained why he met the disputed chieftains in the first place. The quartet have been seeking to remove Tuanku Muhriz since April over a power dispute and have backed a rival claimant to the throne, the ruler’s cousin, Tuanku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja'afar.

Questions over exco's authority

Anand also sought clarification on the basis for the then-state exco's move to suspend the state secretary and legal adviser on Sept 22.

He pointed out that both positions fall under federal authority, while the excos had their appointments revoked by Tuanku Muhriz effective Sept 20.

“What is (Ismail’s) response now that the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has stated plainly that both such officers were in federal service and not subject to the (state) exco?

“Given that (Tuanku Muhriz) has revoked the appointments of all state exco members, the basis on which the state government continues to operate may be in need of some clarification,” Anand added.

The 10 former state excos have since filed an originating summons at the Seremban High Court challenging the validity of the state government gazette revoking their appointments.

The four rebel territorial chieftains have also interpreted the Conference of Rulers’ call for outsiders not to interfere in the Negeri Sembilan crisis as referring to the federal government and its agencies.

Besides rejecting the state exco's attempt to replace the state secretary and legal adviser, the AGC has also issued statements disputing the validity of the purported order to remove Tuanku Muhriz.

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