Rais questions Ismail Lasim's MB appointment, claims 'outside interference'

 

Parti Wawasan Negara chairperson Rais Yatim has questioned the process behind the appointment of Negeri Sembilan’s new menteri besar, Ismail Lasim.

The former menteri besar, who was recently stripped of his honorific titles by the state palace, claimed there was “outside interference” in the selection of the Juasseh assemblyperson for the post.

Rais pointed to a meeting between Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, before the appointment, noting that what transpired was never disclosed.

“What was discussed that allowed an outsider to enter the realm of Negeri Sembilan’s customs and constitution and ultimately determine the outcome?

“Under Negeri Sembilan’s customs, outsiders should not interfere. Yet this has happened, and today we see someone whom nobody expected being appointed menteri besar.

“Did the Undang Yang Empat (four territorial chieftains) agree? Were the Undang Yang Empat consulted? As far as I know, they were not. How, then, did this appointment come about?” he said in a video that has gone viral since last night.

Parti Wawasan Negara chairperson Rais Yatim

Under Adat Perpatih, the Undang Yang Empat represent the luak of Sungai Ujong, Jelebu, Johol, and Rembau, and are responsible for selecting the Yang di-Pertuan Besar from among eligible members of the royal lineage.

However, they play no formal role in appointing the menteri besar. Under the state constitution, the ruler appoints the menteri besar from among assemblypersons who command the confidence of the majority in the state legislative assembly.

Even so, the menteri besar’s office exists within Negeri Sembilan’s unique constitutional framework shaped by Adat Perpatih, with the undang remaining a key pillar of the state’s customary governance.

The relationship between the ruler, the undang, and the elected government is therefore expected to reflect mutual respect between customary and constitutional institutions.

Rais, a scholar of the Minangkabau customary law Adat Perpatih, was appointed chief legal adviser to the state’s highest adat authorities on April 2.

Yesterday, Ismail, 67, was sworn in before Tuanku Muhriz at the Seri Menanti palace.

New Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim

Among those present were former state assembly speaker MK Ibrahim Abd Rahman, BN deputy chairperson Mohamad Hasan, and other BN and Perikatan Nasional assemblypersons.

An Umno supreme council member, Ismail has never lost an election since first winning the Senaling state seat in 1999.

Warning against erosion of adat

Meanwhile, Rais argued that Negeri Sembilan Umno chairperson Jalaluddin Alias had been overlooked despite his years of service to the coalition.

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“If this continues, Negeri Sembilan’s customs will be dictated by outsiders, not by the people of Negeri Sembilan or by what is enshrined in our traditional institutions… The value of our customs is higher than gold,” he added.

In the run-up to the election, Negeri Sembilan witnessed a major royal dispute between the Yang di-Pertuan Besar and the Undang Yang Empat.

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At the height of the crisis, Jalaluddin announced that Negeri Sembilan Umno would withdraw its support for former menteri besar Aminuddin Harun, who had backed the ruler.

Negeri Sembilan Umno chairperson Jalaluddin Alias

Meanwhile, Jalaluddin today sought to dispel rumours over his absence from Ismail’s swearing-in ceremony, saying he was unable to attend due to a prior constituency engagement.

“I received (the invitation from the state protocol unit) at 4.50am, I opened and read it after Subuh prayers, but I had already arranged another event in my constituency which required my presence,” New Straits Times quoted him as saying. - Mkini