Zahid nafi menghadap Tuanku Muhriz

Perdana Menteri Zahid Hamidi denied receiving permission to visit Yang Di Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz, at Istana Negeri Sembilan yesterday. The visit came amid a controversy surrounding the crisis in the state, with Bernama reporting that Zahid and Ismail Lasim were expected to receive permission to visit. Zahid stated today that he and Ismail Lasim never received an invitation to visit Tuanku Muhriz and only became aware of the development through media reports.

He was asked about the meeting and said he only knew about it through the media. Zahid declined to comment further on the controversy and instead referred it to Ismail Lasim. He said the matter needed to be handled and resolved properly in the relevant state. He emphasized that issues related to legislation and power are not just about legal interpretation, and that the existing institutions in Negeri Sembilan should be respected without undermining the position of the established institution.

The development follows the announcement by the Istana Negeri Sembilan that Tuanku Muhriz decided to dismiss 10 members of the State Council for violating their oath of office, following a joint statement supporting the removal of Tuanku Muhriz as the Yang Di Pertuan Besar on August 7th. However, Ismail Lasim contested this decision, stating that the Perlembagaan Negeri Sembilan does not allow the Yang Di Pertuan Besar to terminate the term of an exco member except upon the advice or request of the Menteri Besar.

The exco member in question released a joint statement earlier this week, which they claimed validated their decision to lower Tuanku Muhriz's status as the Yang Di Pertuan Besar. Ismail Lasim supported the statement the following day, though he had previously claimed to have been forced to sign a declaration dismissing Tuanku Muhriz.

The Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee subsequently rejected the exco member's statement as not in accordance with the law and did not consider it valid, and confirmed that Tuanku Muhriz would remain as the Yang Di Pertuan Besar.