SEREMBAN: The Negri Sembilan government must be given space to resolve the state's constitutional and customary law (adat) crisis in an orderly manner and through proper legal channels, said state Umno information chief Muhammad Sufian Maradzi.
He cautioned against using matters involving royal institutions, adat, and state governance to exert political pressure or to bypass ongoing processes.
"The current state government has a heavy responsibility to resolve an inherited crisis guided by the state constitution, Adat Perpatih, court rulings, and the jurisdiction of legitimate institutions.
"All parties must watch what they say so as not to preempt this process," he said in a statement on Wednesday (Sept 30).
He claimed that the crisis escalated because the previous government failed to handle the matter with proper order and decorum.
"Do not selectively choose only a part of the narrative that suits current political interests.
"If PKR truly wants to see the crisis resolved, then the question that remains the core foundation of the entire crisis was the failure of the previous government to release the minutes of an April 17 meeting of the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU)," he said.
He was responding to a statement earlier on Wednesday by the state PKR, which said that the prolonged constitutional and adat crisis in the state has fuelled perceptions of a dysfunctional state government.
The party had also called for an immediate resolution to the impasse.
The state PKR, which met on Tuesday night (Sept 29), said that while the civil service continues to fulfil its duties, the current leadership uncertainty and disrupted decision-making processes risk causing widespread confusion among civil servants, investors, local authorities and the public.
Muhammad Sufian said the people should look at the sequence of events that began during the administration of the then PKR-led government, which allegedly caused the crisis before placing blame on the current government.
"The event on April 17, 2026 is one of the most critical points in this development.
"At that time, the position of the Undang of Sungei Ujong was said to have been collectively decided through the DKU, but that matter was subsequently disputed by the parties present, including the Undang and the Tunku Besar of Tampin," he said.
He said the question regarding the minutes of the said meeting remains fundamental.
On May 5, the serving and former Undang and two others had also filed an originating summons at the Seremban High Court to obtain a copy of the minutes of a special DKU meeting held on April 17.
Muhammad Sufian also asked why the record that served as the foundation for such a major decision was not presented when the dispute first arose.
"If the record had been clarified from the very beginning, a large part of the confusion, institutional disputes, and subsequent administrative crisis could likely have been avoided.
"As such, it is unfair to discuss the consequences of today's crisis without acknowledging how it all began," he said.
He claimed this was also the reason why Umno lost confidence in the leadership of then Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun and decided to withdraw support for him.
"This stance was not a rejection of the unity government concept, but rather a rejection of the way the crisis was managed under his leadership," he said.
Muhammad Sufian said that when a political solution could not be reached, Aminuddin had himself chosen to dissolve the state legislative assembly and return the mandate to the people.
"The election has taken place, the people have made their decision, and a new government has been formed through a legitimate democratic process.
"That mandate must be respected, just as all parties previously demanded that the will of the people be respected," he added.
On Tuesday, the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, granted an audience to Mentri Besar Datuk Ismail Lasim, with the meeting believed to have focused on efforts to resolve the state's ongoing customary and constitutional crisis.
