Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has strongly criticised Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim and members of the state executive council over an attempt to remove Yang di-Pertuan Besar Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, calling the move disrespectful and contrary to the proper constitutional process.
Anwar said the state executive council did not have the authority to question or alter the position of the ruler. He made the remarks while travelling by high-speed train from Shanghai to Hangzhou during his working visit to China.
The dispute has developed into a broader constitutional impasse in Negeri Sembilan. Anwar said the federal government was not seeking to interfere in the state’s affairs but had a responsibility to uphold Malaysia’s constitutional institutions and national stability.
Under Negeri Sembilan’s constitutional system, the Undang Luak have a role in determining the position of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar. Anwar acknowledged that authority but stressed that any decision must follow the prescribed procedures and that conflicting claims over who is legally entitled to act as an Undang must first be resolved.
The Attorney General’s Chambers has separately stated that the Menteri Besar and state executive council do not have the power to remove or declare the ruler’s position vacant. It said any attempt to do so must comply with the requirements of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution and be resolved through the appropriate legal and constitutional processes.
The controversy dates back to an April 19 proclamation that purported to remove Tuanku Muhriz and recognise Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar as the new ruler. The Attorney General’s Chambers has questioned whether the proclamation met the constitutional requirements, including whether the grounds and procedures for removing a ruler had been satisfied.
The dispute has since expanded to the state executive council. Tuanku Muhriz revoked the appointments of the state’s executive councillors, citing alleged breaches of their oaths of office. Ismail Lasim rejected the move, arguing that the dismissals were unconstitutional because he had not been consulted or advised to remove the councillors.
Anwar recently met Tuanku Muhriz for nearly an hour in Kuala Lumpur, although details of their discussion were not disclosed. The meeting took place as competing claims over the authority of the ruler and the state administration continued.
Anwar said the federal government would respect a decision made by the properly constituted Undang in accordance with the law. But he also warned that decisions affecting the institution of the Malay Rulers cannot simply be implemented without resolving questions over authority and procedure.
The standoff now places constitutional procedure, traditional authority and the functioning of Negeri Sembilan’s state administration at the centre of a dispute that remains unresolved. With competing interpretations of the state constitution still being challenged, the next legal and constitutional steps could determine how the crisis develops.
