Tuanku Muhriz revokes exco appointments, but reading of state constitution disputed

Negeri Sembilan's embattled ruler, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, has retaliated against the state government by revoking the appointments of all 10 state excos, except for Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim.

This is for violating their oath of allegiance to the ruler when the exco decided to recognise a proclamation by the state's rebel chieftain faction appointing Tuanku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar as Yang di-Pertuan Besar.

The tit-for-tat comes amid a deadlock between the state government and the rebel chieftain faction and Tuanku Muhriz, after the state secretary refused to gazette Tuanku Nadzaruddin's appointment.

According to media reports, the palace, in a statement last night, cited Article 38(5) of the state constitution, which states that the excos hold office at the pleasure of the ruler.

However, a lawyer for the rebel Undang Yang Empat (below) group disputed the palace's reading of the article.

This is because Article 38(5) does not explicitly grant the ruler the right to remove an exco member unless advised by the menteri besar.

The article reads as follows: "A member of the exco other than the menteri besar shall hold office at the ruler's pleasure, unless the appointment of any member of the exco shall have been revoked by the ruler on the advice of the menteri besar but any member of the exco may at any time resign his office."

Unconstitutional and void

As such, lawyer Emirul Sarifudin Nor Azmi said the excos' sacking was wrong, unconstitutional, and void.

Emirul also said sacking the exco is not one of the matters that the ruler has discretion in under Article 40(2), and that the ruler must otherwise act on the advice of the menteri besar and exco as per Article 40(1).

Besides sacking the excos, the palace also said it expects Ismail (below) to present Tuanku Muhriz with a list of new exco members, while continuing the administration of Negeri Sembilan.

Expect drama and tensions at the state government building today, as civil servants' loyalties are tested.

The state secretary, who controls the state government building, has said that it does not recognise the appointment of Tuanku Nadzaruddin as ruler and that the proclamation to remove Tuanku Muhriz is null and void.

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