Has BN the moral authority to govern Negeri Sembilan?

The dismissal of the entire executive council by Tuanku Muhriz has left Negeri Sembilan in a precarious situation. Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim is now forced to govern alone, relying on civil servants to keep the government functioning. Despite winning 18 out of 36 seats in the August 1 state election, BN only secured one seat shy of an outright majority and required PAS's support to remain in power.

Initially, Jalaluddin Alias was thought to take over as the state's Yang Di Pertua Besar (YDPA), but Ismail Lasim was ultimately sworn in, despite Jalaluddin's influence. Ismail's own history is fraught with controversy, including signing a proclamation to remove Tuanku Muhriz, only to retract it under coercion and then reaffirm his support.

This act led to the sacking of the entire executive council due to disloyalty. With his entire team removed, Ismail's moral authority to lead is called into question. Regardless of his continued presence in office, he cannot form a proper cabinet, as all members have been dismissed. Negeri Sembilan's voters are left questioning whether they should accept a government composed of second-choice leaders.

Previous instances of legitimacy crises in Malaysia, such as in Kelantan and Perak, have resulted in governance collapse when the legitimacy of the leadership was called into question. The writer argues that BN, despite its numbers, cannot provide stability and governance. They suggest that either the assembly should be dissolved and the mandate returned to the people, or a unity government should be formed to preserve Negeri Sembilan's dignity. The writer concludes that anything short of this would be a betrayal of the state and its citizens.