Has BN the moral authority to govern Negeri Sembilan?

In the wake of Yang Dipertuan Besar Tuanku Muhriz's dismissal of Negeri Sembilan's entire executive council, the state has been left adrift without a stable government. Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim has been forced to take charge of the administration alone, relying heavily on civil servants to keep things running smoothly. The Barisan Nasional party secured 18 of the 36 seats in the state assembly during the August 1 election, falling one vote short of securing an outright majority, and their victory was only achieved with the support of PAS.

Initially, Jalaluddin Alias, who previously led Umno's withdrawal of support from the prior administration, was considered a contender to become the next Yang Di-Pertuan Besar. However, he was not even considered for a seat on the 10-man executive council. Ismail has had a tumultuous past, initially pledging his support for Muhriz, only to later retract his support and later re-affirm it, after which the entire executive council was dismissed due to allegations of disloyalty to the ruler.

Ismail may have managed to stay in office, but his own conduct has come under scrutiny. Given that his entire 10-man team has been sacked for betraying the ruler, can he still claim to have the moral authority to remain as the Menteri Besar? If he continues to lead, he will be unable to form a functioning executive council, as his entire team has been disbanded.

Even Jalaluddin, who is unlikely to be in contention, would leave Ismail with no choice but to choose from the assemblymen he had previously overlooked. Should Negeri Sembilan's electorate be content with having second-best leaders govern them? Previous instances of legitimacy crises in Malaysia, such as the 1977 Kelantan-PAS conflict and the 2009 Perak defections, have resulted in governance collapses due to a lack of legitimacy.

Today, it is clear that the reality faced by Negeri Sembilan is stark: despite having numerical strength, the Barisan Nasional party is not in a position to provide government stability. It is high time for the truth to be faced: BN does not have a clear path to government and stability. The people of Negeri Sembilan deserve better than political games.

Either the assembly should be dissolved, and the mandate returned to the people, or a unity government must be accepted to salvage what remains of Negeri Sembilan's dignity. Anything less would be a betrayal of the state and its citizens.