Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has denied being granted an audience at Istana Negeri Sembilan, saying neither he nor Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim was summoned to meet the Yang Dipertuan Besar Muhriz Munawir.
Bernama reported that several vehicles, including one believed to be carrying Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, arrived at Istana Negeri Sembilan in Changkat Persekutuan for an audience with Muhriz.
The reported meeting came amid a dispute over Muhriz’s position as the state ruler, with Bernama reporting that Zahid and Ismail were also expected to be granted an audience.
“I wasn’t there,” Zahid said when asked to comment on the meeting.
“The menteri besar and I were not summoned for an audience, and we only found out about it through reports in the media,” he said after officiating the University Research and Innovation Investment Summit 2026.
Zahid declined to comment further on the political dispute, leaving the matter to Ismail. He said the issue should be managed and resolved amicably within the state.
He also said the dispute involved complex legal interpretations concerning powers and constitutional jurisdiction, stressing that state institutions and the royal framework in Negeri Sembilan must be respected.
Palace revokes 10 Exco appointments
The remarks came after the Negeri Sembilan palace announced that Muhriz had revoked the appointments of 10 state executive councillors for violating their oath of office following a joint statement endorsing his removal as the state ruler.
The palace said the Exco members had also breached their pledge of allegiance to the Yang Dipertuan Besar, which they took on Aug. 7.
It said that under the state constitution, Exco members other than the menteri besar hold office at the ruler’s pleasure.
Ismail subsequently disputed Muhriz’s decision to revoke the appointments, saying the Negeri Sembilan Constitution does not allow the ruler to terminate an Exco member’s tenure unless advised or requested by the menteri besar.
Dispute over ruler’s position
Last week, the Exco released a joint statement purportedly affirming Muhriz’s removal as Yang Dipertuan Besar.
Ismail endorsed the statement a day later, despite previously claiming that he had been coerced into signing a proclamation concerning Muhriz’s alleged removal.
The Negeri Sembilan Dewan Keadilan dan Undang dismissed the Exco’s statement as unconstitutional and invalid, affirming that Muhriz remained the state’s ruler.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers also said the statement had no legal effect, as the menteri besar and his Exco do not have the power to unilaterally vacate the position of the state ruler.
