KUALA LUMPUR: Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Datuk Ismail Lasim must explain why he changed his stance on the proclamation concerning Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, says Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
The senior political adviser to the Prime Minister said that Ismail had, on Aug 3, signed the proclamation, a day after taking his oath as Mentri Besar before Tuanku Muhriz.
Tengku Zafrul added that on Sept 6, Ismail had expressed full support and unwavering loyalty to Tuanku Muhriz while on Sept 9, he had claimed he had signed the proclamation unwillingly and under duress and lodged a police report over the matter.
"The state government had also taken the position that the proclamation did not fulfil the prescribed processes and procedures," Ismail had said at the time.
However, on Sept 15, the state executive council meeting chaired by Ismail was said to have unanimously decided that the proclamation was valid and in force.
The decision was announced on Sept 16, with Tuanku Muhriz said to have been removed as Yang di-Pertuan Besar.
Ismail confirmed the exco decision on Sept 17 and said the gazetting process had been requested to proceed.
Tengku Zafrul questioned what had prompted this change in position.
“Is it true that you were forced to sign the proclamation on Aug 3? If true, who forced you?” he asked in a post on social media.
He also questioned whether Ismail had been pressured into changing his stance.
“If there was pressure to change your stance, who was involved, and who did you meet during that period?” Tengku Zafrul asked.
Ismail, when asked on Thursday (Sept 24) why his position had changed, said there was no change and that the matter had been “overtaken by events”.
Tengku Zafrul said the issue needed to be clarified before other matters raised in Ismail's seven-page statement were addressed.
“Today’s seven-page statement still asserts that the government does not determine who ascends or leaves the throne, and that such matters must go through the institutions with jurisdiction.
“But it still does not explain the Mentri Besar’s own change in stance.
“Datuk Ismail, what really changed?” he asked.
