Umno mahu pastikan kerajaan negeri, istana sehaluan dalam krisis Negeri Sembilan

Umno seeks to ensure Negeri Sembilan state government, Istana at the center during crisis

Ismail Lasim recently directed the proclamation of Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir's abdication as Yang Di Pertuan Besar, despite previous doubts about its legality. PETALING JAYA: Umno's support for Tuanku Muhriz's abdication may be part of a larger strategy by the party's central leadership to ensure the state government is more aligned with the palace, according to political analyst Syaza Shukri.

She believes the plan might already exist before the Negeri Sembilan PRN, with Umno ready to support the proclamation after taking over the administration of the state. She adds that Ismail's appointment as the likely new chief minister could explain the initial apparent contradiction with the later Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri decision.

"In my view, Ismail now clearly understands what the national party leadership wants. The initial dissent was more personal," she tells FMT. Syaza believes Umno might maintain its stance by claiming the abdication proclamation was legally issued, given the assumption that the proclamations to reduce Tuanku Muhriz were issued legally.

This approach allows Umno to continue presenting itself as a party that upholds the royal institution, even in the face of controversy surrounding Tuanku Muhriz's abdication. She said Umno also has a political interest in ensuring the state government and the palace are on equal footing, especially as the party wants to highlight its strength and stability.

"If the state government is perceived as being undermined by the palace, the public may question the stability of Negeri Sembilan, which contradicts their campaign emphasizing stability," she says, taking into account the possibility of tension between Tuanku Muhriz and Umno. According to Syaza, friendly relations with the palace could strengthen Ismail's administration if the proclamation is eventually confirmed.

However, she adds that the episode could also raise perceptions that the chief minister is easily influenced by pressure. She says the broader conflict now has a more political dimension, with different interpretations of the true meaning of "upholding the royal institution" among various factions. Ultimately, she says, the court will have to decide the constitutional dispute, which is a result of conflicting political claims about the legitimacy and legitimacy of the issue.

Last week, four individuals who claim to be state envoys submitted a proclamation dated August 3, which they say officially confirms Tuanku Muhriz's abdication. On September 9, Ismail claimed he was forced to sign the proclamation and called it invalid, unlawful, and unenforceable. The following day, he met with Umno President Zahid Hamidi and three vice-presidents, Johari Ghani, Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, and Khaled Nordin, after Zahid asked for clarification on the matter.

On September 17, Ismail confirmed the state government's meeting in a landslide vote, two days before the proclamation, and directed the state administration to continue the verification process. However, the State Administration Office later clarified that the proclamation would not be published after receiving advice from the Attorney General's Office that it did not comply with Article 10 of the State Bodies Corporation Act.