Exco ‘decision’ has no legal effect, says Negeri Sembilan DKU

The Negeri Sembilan Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) has stated that the press statement issued by the state's executive council members has no legal effect and should not be followed by civil servants. The DKU maintains that Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir remains the state's Yang Dipertuan Besar, with the ultimate authority to appoint or remove the ruler, as per the Negeri Sembilan constitution.

The September 16 statement, which purportedly confirmed Tuanku Muhriz's removal and the selection of a new Yang Dipertuan Besar, is unconstitutional and invalid, as it contradicts decisions made by the DKU. Consequently, no state government officer is obligated to act upon any order from the statement or the September 5 proclamation by the four purported undangs.

The matter is currently before the High Court in Seremban, and all parties are urged to respect the ongoing legal process. The Negeri Sembilan executive council members recently affirmed Tuanku Muhriz's removal in April and declared Tuanku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar as the new ruler of the state. However, this statement was not confirmed by the menteri besar Ismail Lasim's office, and lawyer Rosli Dahlan questioned its validity, inquiring whether Ismail had endorsed the document.