Langkah Ismail, bekas exco ‘biadab’, kata PM

Perdana Menteri Anwar Ibrahim condemned former Negeri Sembilan Deputy Chief Minister Ismail Lasim and former cabinet members for their actions regarding the monarchy institution, stating that their conduct was unlawful and unacceptable. Anwar firmly stated that he could not imagine a Malay leader supporting the downfall of the Malay King.

The legal breach was emphasized by the Attorney-General's Chambers, which dismissed the April 19 proclamations as invalid due to not adhering to the mandatory provisions of Article 10 of the State Constitution. This controversy erupted on April 19 when Mubarak Dohak, claiming to be the Undang Sungei Ujong, read a proclamation signed by four Undangs, which removed Tuanku Muhriz from the throne.

The following day, then Chief Minister Aminuddin Harun rejected the proclamation as it did not align with the State Constitution. In August, Ismail Lasim swore an oath as Chief Minister in the presence of Tuanku Muhriz, who also appointed 10 exco members to hold positions "as long as the Yang Di Pertuan Besar permits," as per Clause 38(5) of the State Constitution.

On September 9, Ismail retracted his earlier stance but eight days later reinstated the appointment. On September 17, Ismail announced that the National Executive Council had validated the proclamations, legitimizing the removal of Tuanku Muhriz's throne and mandating the establishment of a new government under the new monarch. On September 21, the Negeri Sembilan Palace announced that Tuanku Muhriz had withdrawn the nomination of exco members following their refusal to swear the oath of office.

Ten members of the exco comprised seven Umno members, one from MCA, Wawasan, and PAS. Last week, the Attorney-General's Chambers declared that the April 19 proclamations were not valid as they did not comply with the mandatory provisions of Article 10 of the State Constitution. In line with the AGC's decision, the Office of the Chief Secretary to the Government of Negeri Sembilan announced that they would not take any action against the April 19 proclamations.

However, a few days later, Ismail announced that a special exco meeting had decided to suspend Negeri Sembilan Chief Minister Zafir Ibrahim and Legal Advisor Muzalmah Mustapha Kamal from their positions. Nevertheless, the Attorney-General's Chambers stated that issues related to suspending the chief minister and legal advisor fell under the jurisdiction of the Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam and Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Kehakiman dan Perundangan, as clearly stated in Clause 37 of the State Constitution.