SEREMBAN: The photographs of 10 Negri Sembilan executive councillors (exco) have been removed from the official state government portal.
A check by Sinar Harian found that only Mentri Besar Datuk Ismail Lasim's photograph remained under the State Executive Council section.
Ismail currently holds three portfolios: Islamic Affairs and Security; Finance, Land and Natural Resources; and Investment, Infrastructure, Utilities, Communications and Felda.
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The development follows the gazetting on Thursday (Sept 24) of the cancellation of the appointments of the 10 exco members.
The gazette stated that Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir had revoked their appointments with effect from Sept 20 under Article 38(5) of the Negri Sembilan Constitution 1959.
The executive councillors 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.
According to the gazette, all 10 had taken and signed their oaths and pledges of allegiance before Tuanku Muhriz on Aug 7 before assuming their posts.
However, they were found to have violated their oath of office by their actions on Sept 15 when they agreed on the removal of Tuanku Muhriz as the Yang di-Pertuan Besar.
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"In view of your breach of the pledge of allegiance, I hereby withdraw My consent and revoke your appointments as members of the Negri Sembilan State Executive Council," Tuanku Muhriz said in the gazette.
The gazette also stated that under Article 38(5) of the Negri Sembilan Constitution 1959, an executive councillor, other than the Mentri Besar, holds office at the pleasure of Tuanku Muhriz.
On Sept 20, Istana Negeri Sembilan announced that Tuanku Muhriz had revoked the appointments of all the executive councillors with immediate effect.
Ismail was then reported as saying that the councillors had been barred from entering their offices at Wisma Negeri since Wednesday and from carrying out their duties.
He declined to name who issued the directive to bar the exco members but claimed that the instruction was conveyed verbally by the authorities, with no written court order or police directive given.
The Mentri Besar also maintained that he had never been consulted or advised about the termination of any exco member and that the existing lineup was still valid under Article 38(5) of the state constitution.
