PENDANG: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said he does not agree with any attempt to remove a Ruler lightly, adding that the question of who has legitimate authority to decide in the Negeri Sembilan crisis must be settled first.
The Prime Minister said he was not interfering in the dispute over the position of the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, as the decision had been made by the Undang.
"I said I am not interfering. What am I interfering in? The Undang made a decision," he said in a speech at the Pendang Berselawat 2026 programme here last night.
He did, however, raise the question of the legitimacy of the Undang involved.
"But even among the Undang, which is valid and which is not? Decide, settle that," he said.
Anwar said any disagreement with a Ruler should be resolved amicably through the proper channels.
"I do not agree with toppling a Ruler so easily. Our system cannot work that way," he said.
He warned that the monarchy in the country would cease to exist if Rulers could be brought down easily, Utusan Malaysia reported.
Limits on the Prime Minister's power
Anwar also said the Prime Minister's own powers were limited.
"The Prime Minister is the chief executive who runs the country. What are his limits? He cannot amend the Constitution," he said, as quoted by Bernama.
The Constitution, he said, was very clear that the Prime Minister and Cabinet could not arbitrarily change matters concerning the Malay Rulers, Islam, the Malay language and constitutionally protected rights.
The unanswered question
His remarks narrow the dispute to a basic question: who holds legitimate authority to decide in Negeri Sembilan. Anwar did not say which party he considers legitimate, nor did he explain the mechanism by which the question should be resolved.
The crisis arose from a dispute over the position of the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, which has also involved the revocation of the appointments of 10 state executive councillors.
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