Negeri Sembilan govt withdraws letter sent to Conference of Rulers

SEREMBAN - The Negeri Sembilan government has officially withdrawn its letter sent to the Malay Rulers regarding the state's royal institution, reaffirming its commitment to uphold the state constitution and customary traditions.

It is learnt that Menteri Besar Datuk Ismail Lasim conveyed this in a two-page letter dated Nov 10 addressed to the Keeper of the Ruler's Seal Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad.

He said the decision was made unanimously alongside all 10 former executive councillors.

The letter noted that the retraction of the earlier Sept 17, 2026, correspondence took into account a statement issued by the Malay Rulers on Oct 14, 2026, as well as a Seremban High Court order dated June 5, 2026.

The court order had maintained the status quo regarding the position of Negri Sembilan Yang di-Pertuan Besar Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir.

"This decision is made to uphold the supremacy of the Laws of the Constitution of Negri Sembilan 1959, preserve the order of constitutional monarchy, and ensure the continuity of state administration runs in a peaceful and orderly manner," the letter read.

On Sept 17, Ismail confirmed that the state executive council had endorsed an April 17 proclamation signed by one Undang and three other ruling chiefs whose positions were in dispute to remove Tuanku Muhriz as the state ruler.

He then sent a formal letter to the Conference of Rulers declaring Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja'afar as the "new" Yang di-Pertuan Besar.

In the Nov 10 letter, Ismail and the state's 10 former executive council members also reiterated their commitment to always uphold custom (adat) and respect the position and authority of the royal institution within Negri Sembilan's governance system.

They added that they took note of the Malay Rulers' call for all differences to be resolved through lawful, authoritative, and credible channels in a civil and customary manner.

"We are of the view that efforts toward a resolution must be carried out with full responsibility, in order to maintain the harmony and stability of Negri Sembilan and prioritise the well-being of the people," the letter stated.

The letter was signed by Ismail and co-signed by all 10 former state executive council members.

They are Datuk Mohd Faizal Ramli, Datuk Zaifulbahri Idris, Datuk Mustapha Nagoor, Siow Kong Choon, Siti Nur Umaira Hasim, Datuk Mohd Asna Amin, Datuk Mohd Razi Mohd Ali, Suhaimizan Bizar, Mohd Fairuz Mohd Isa, and Datuk Razali Abu Samah. - THE STAR