{
  "id": 8158428,
  "title": "Kredibiliti Umno jadi taruhan berkait pertikaian diraja N Sembilan, kata penganalisis",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/kredibiliti-umno-jadi-taruhan-berkait-pertikaian-diraja-n-sembilan",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T02:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2026/09/18/kredibiliti-umno-jadi-taruhan-berkait-pertikaian-diraja-n-sembilan-kata-penganalisis"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 17, Negeri Sembilan's Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim backed the proclamation declaring Tun Muhriz as Yang Di Pertuan Besar, after previously accusing him of signing it under duress. PETALING JAYA: The Negeri Sembilan royal controversy became a test of Umno's credibility when analysts questioned how the party could balance claims defending the royal institution while being involved in the Tuanku Muhriz dismissal affair. Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad Sabri, from Global Asia Consulting, said the most prominent clash involves Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim, who previously claimed he was forced to sign the proclamation. On September 9, Ismail declared the proclamation invalid, contrary to the constitution and unenforceable, fully supporting Tun Muhriz. However, yesterday he endorsed the Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri (exco) statement, released a day earlier, which affirmed Tun Muhriz's removal as Yang Di Pertuan Besar. Ismail also confirmed all exco members had endorsed the proclamation by their September 15 meeting and directed the state government to continue the investigation process. Zaharuddin said the change in stance raises questions about Umno's consistency. \"You cannot say you defend the royal institution and at the same time be involved in this,\" he told FMT. He reminded Umno that it could damage the party's image, often championing principles while copying opposition leader Dr Akmal Saleh's rejection of Pakatan Harapan (PH), which was repeatedly accused of testing Malay-Islam principles, morality, and sensitivities. \"So, how can they justify this? Does it mean principles or your compass can always change with the wind?\" he asked. Zaharuddin said Umno has faced credibility issues before, citing No Anwar, No DAP and its opposition to Bersatu, which was later followed by political opposition or conflicting discussions. He said the point is not whether political positions can change, but whether Umno can convincingly explain the reasons behind its shift in position. Whether it's due to new facts, legal advice, developments involving the Election Commission, or political considerations remains to be seen. Malay voters are watching the royal controversy, and its impact may be greater among them than among the upper-middle-class (M40) and T20 groups, as they tend to scrutinize such discrepancies more closely. Mazlan Ali agreed, saying the controversy risks portraying Umno as directly involved in efforts to remove Tun Muhriz. He said voters tend to reassess political issues as election day approaches. This issue could damage Umno nationally, as it involves the royal institution, which remains important to certain Malay voter segments. Mazlan added that the political risk for Umno lies with the upper-class Malay voters who prioritize respect for the royal institution and may view the controversy as inconsistent with the party's traditional stance. He said the issue will resurface ahead of the next general election, as Umno's rivals could exploit it to question the party's commitment to the royal institution. The controversy began in April when Mubarak Dohak, claiming to be Undang Sungei Ujong, along with three others, claimed to have removed Tun Muhriz as Yang Di Pertuan Besar. Two months later, Tun Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar was declared Yang Di Pertuan Besar No 12 in a hotel in Melaka. Last week, the four individuals who claimed to have issued the proclamation on August 3 presented it, claiming Ismail signed it, which they said legitimized Tun Muhriz's removal. The controversy remains disputed in terms of constitutionality, with the Negeri Sembilan Judicial and Legal Affairs Council (DKU) affirming Tun Muhriz's continued status as the legitimate Yang Di Pertuan Besar and asserting the state government has no authority to determine the validity of the proclamation.",
  "summary": "Penganalisis berkata peranan Umno dalam kontroversi diraja Negeri Sembilan berisiko menjejaskan slogannya untuk pertahan institusi diraja.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "PAS, Umno berbeza pendekatan rakan penyatuan ummah, kata penganalisis",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/pas-umno-berbeza-pendekatan-rakan-penyatuan-ummah-kata-penganalisis",
        "published": "2026-09-17T23:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}