Quit if you no longer recognise Tuanku Muhriz as ruler, Loke tells Negeri Sembilan exco members

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook urged Negeri Sembilan's executive council members to resign if they no longer acknowledge Tuanku Muhriz as the state's ruler. The MP questioned the Exco's legal authority to make such a decision, stating that the Yang di-Pertuan Besar's position is governed by the state constitution and the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU), which deals with customary matters concerning the ruler.

Loke emphasized that an Exco decision cannot override the Laws of the Constitution of Negeri Sembilan 1959 or the decisions of the DKU. The state Exco recently declared that an April 19 proclamation removing Tuanku Muhriz was valid and recognized Tuanku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar as the new Yang di-Pertuan Besar. Loke pointed out that Tuanku Muhriz could not be removed from the throne without following the required processes under the state constitution.

He also noted that the Exco members had only sworn their oaths of office before Tuanku Muhriz in early August. Loke claimed that the Exco's announcement caused confusion, disrupted state administration, and undermined the Yang di-Pertuan Besar's dignity. The DAP remains committed to parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, stressing the importance of upholding the rule of law and the royal institution's dignity.

The dispute began on April 19 when four Undang individuals claimed to have removed Tuanku Muhriz, a declaration later ruled invalid by the DKU. The DKU reaffirmed today that Tuanku Muhriz remains the legitimate Yang di-Pertuan Besar, stating there is no vacancy or successor and that the Exco's September 16 decision to recognize his removal has no legal effect.