MB reverses position, pledges support for Tuanku Muhriz, says report

Negeri Sembilan menteri besar Ismail Lasim has purportedly reversed his position, withdrawing a letter sent to the Keeper of the Ruler’s Seal, Syed Danial Syed Ahmad, and pledging support for Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir as the Yang Dipertuan Besar.

Malay Mail quoted a source as saying that Ismail met Syed Danial earlier this week with a letter withdrawing objections to Tuanku Muhriz’s position as the state ruler.

The report also cited sources as saying the menteri besar is expected to seek an audience with Tuanku Muhriz to express his loyalty and seek consent for the state assembly to reconvene.

The state assembly meeting, initially scheduled to begin in mid-October, was called off, and has since been rescheduled to begin on Nov 26.

The letter is also understood to affirm the 10 sacked executive council members’ unanimous support for Tuanku Muhriz, taking into consideration the statement by the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal following the 273rd meeting of the Conference of Rulers on Oct 14.

Ismail and the sacked exco members are understood to have based their decision to support Tuanku Muhriz on the Seremban High Court’s ruling on June 5 granting an ad interim injunction to preserve the status quo.

The Malay rulers had on Oct 14 urged parties involved in the Negeri Sembilan royal dispute to exercise wisdom and patience, resolve their differences through lawful channels, and warned outsiders against interfering in or politicising the crisis.

They said the dispute should be resolved courteously and according to custom, in accordance with the Negeri Sembilan constitution.

On Oct 16, Tuanku Muhriz rebuked Ismail in public, with several videos posted on social media showing the ruler telling a group of people that Ismail had written a letter to the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal, informing them that he was no longer the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan.

Tuanku Muhriz questioned Ismail’s reason for seeking a meeting, telling him to “go away” until he retracted his earlier remarks.

Negeri Sembilan has been embroiled in a royal crisis since April, when four purported undangs, or chieftains, announced Tuanku Muhriz’s removal as the Yang Dipertuan Besar.

The same disputed undangs also purportedly proclaimed Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar as the “new” ruler at a five-star hotel in Melaka in June.

In September, Ismail endorsed a statement issued by his executive council that purportedly affirmed Tuanku Muhriz’s removal as the Yang Dipertuan Besar.

Tuanku Muhriz subsequently revoked the appointments of the entire executive council.

FMT has reached out to Ismail for comment.

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