Bar questions status of Negeri Sembilan govt after exco sackings

The Bar Council has questioned the legitimacy of the Negeri Sembilan state government remaining in power following the revocation of all state executive council members by the state ruler. Bar Council president Anand Raj called for clarification on the basis of this continued operation, given the state ruler's Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir was removed from his position amidst a dispute over a purported proclamation.

The proclamations, made on April 9, were rejected as invalid by the Attorney-General's Chambers. Anand stated that no full enquiry by the undangs, traditional territorial chiefs, was ever held to confirm the ruler's actions or if he was given the opportunity to rebut the allegations against him. No contemporaneous records of such an enquiry have been published.

Anand emphasized that the right to be heard is a fundamental principle of natural justice that applies to everyone, including the head of state. He referred to a Privy Council decision from 1962, stating that if ordinary citizens are constitutionally protected from unlawful removal from office without a fair hearing, the state ruler is entitled to the same protection.

Several unanswered questions remain regarding the handling of the crisis. These include the claim made by Menteri Besar Ismail Lazim that he signed the proclamation under duress, the timing of his police report lodged on September 8, some five weeks after the proclamation, and why he subsequently endorsed the proclamation.