Negeri Sembilan ruler rebukes chief minister over attempt to strip him of throne

At a gathering after Friday prayers in Kuala Pilah, Tuanku Muhriz confronted state Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim, declaring he would not meet the chief minister after Ismail sent a letter to the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal stating the ruler was no longer Yang di-Pertuan Besar. Muhriz accused Lasim, also the Kuala Pilah UMNO division chief, of spearheading efforts to dethrone him and install his cousin Tuanku Nadzaruddin as the new ruler.

The controversy stems from a document Lasim signed that affirmed the Undang Yang Empat’s proclamation to remove the incumbent monarch, a move previously deemed invalid by former Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun. Lasim later filed a police report claiming he signed under duress, yet he has not explained the delay in reporting or his meeting with the chieftains. The state government plans to gazette the proclamation recognizing Tuanku Nadzaruddin, prompting Muhriz to dismiss all state executive council members except Lasim, a decision later challenged in Seremban High Court.