Ismail should resign as MB after royal rebuke, lawyer says

Senior lawyer Rosli Dahlan alleged that Ismail Lasim lodged a false police report over the royal crisis. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: Negeri Sembilan menteri besar Ismail Lasim should resign after he was publicly admonished by the state’s ruler earlier today, a senior lawyer said.

Rosli Dahlan said that the rebuke by the Yang Dipertuan Besar, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, had exposed Ismail as “a treacherous man”. Treachery is a major sin in Islam, Rosli said, and a core trait of hypocrisy or munafiq, a disqualification against holding public office.

“Resign and repent - this is the least that Ismail can do to redeem himself," Rosli told FMT.

Rosli accused Ismail of having “shamelessly” taken his oath of office as menteri besar before Tuanku Muhriz on Aug 2, only to sign a proclamation made months before to denounce Tuanku Muhriz as having been dethroned.

He said Ismail had also then lodged a police report claiming that he had signed the document under duress and affirmed that proclamation to be invalid. Yet, he subsequently made his executive council issue a statement that the “invalid proclamation” had been effective since April 19.

“His flip-flop should invite penal consequences. He should be charged for stating false information and lodging a false police report. He had openly lied and yet no action is taken against him,” Rosli said, adding that Ismail would have in ancient times been put to death for his treachery.

The confrontation between the ruler and the menteri besar was captured in several videos posted on social media this afternoon. Tuanku Muhriz is shown questioning why Ismail had wanted to meet him.

“Don’t see me, I don’t want to see you. You understand? I am the Yang Dipertuan Besar but you said I am not,” Tuanku Muhriz is heard saying to Ismail, to which Ismail offered the traditional gesture of “angkat sembah” used when greeting royalty.

Tuanku Muhriz’s rebuke of Ismail comes amid a constitutional crisis in the state sparked in April after four persons claiming to be undangs, or traditional chieftains, announced the purported removal of Tuanku Muhriz as the state’s ruler, and proclaimed Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja'afar as the Yang Dipertuan Besar.

Last month, Ismail endorsed a statement issued by his executive council that purportedly affirmed the removal of Tuanku Muhriz as head of state. Tuanku Muhriz subsequently revoked the appointments of the entire state executive council.