Zahid authorises Negeri Sembilan chief to negotiate royal solution to political deadlock

During a press briefing after the 18th Makkal Sakti Malaysia Party General Assembly, Umno president and deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi tasked Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Ismail Lasim with seeking a solution to the state’s political impasse by engaging the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, the four Undang, the Tunku Besar of Tampin, Datuk Shahbandar and other customary institutions. Zahid stressed that any agreement must respect the Negeri Sembilan Constitution, local customs and existing regulations, and that the public’s needs should come first.

The move comes after the ruler, Tuanku Muhriz, removed ten state executive councillors on September 20 for allegedly violating their oaths of office. The dismissed councillors, drawn from UMNO, MCA, PAS and Parti Wawasan Negara, were not called to Bukit Aman, contrary to circulating reports, though Zahid said they would cooperate with police if required. He warned against letting the stalemate worsen and urged the state administration to continue functioning smoothly.