FORMER Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun has questioned why his successor Datuk Ismail Lasim signed a disputed proclamation concerning the Yang di-Pertuan Besar after he had refused to sign the same document over concerns about the constitutional process.
Aminuddin said he was prepared to have his decisions scrutinised but challenged Ismail to state specifically what the previous administration had allegedly done wrong, including the constitutional provisions purportedly breached and when the alleged breaches occurred.
“If there was an offence, state what the offence was. If there was a violation of the law, state the provision. In a matter this serious, the people have the right to be given clear facts that can be examined,” he said in a statement on Friday.
Aminuddin said that on April 20, while he was still Menteri Besar, he was presented with a proclamation dated April 19 for his signature under Article 10 of the Constitution of the State of Negeri Sembilan 1959.
He said he declined to sign it because of serious questions over whether the required process had been properly completed, including the requirement for a full and complete inquiry and a dispute over the position of one of the parties involved as Undang Luak Sungei Ujong.
“Under those circumstances, I took a position based on proper legal advice that a Menteri Besar should not put his signature on a document with such significant implications for the institution of the Ruler while questions about its process and validity remained unclear,” he said.
Aminuddin said the issue was further complicated when Ismail, after becoming Menteri Besar, signed the proclamation on Aug 3.
Ismail has acknowledged that the signature was his but has claimed that he was forced to sign the document. The matter has been referred to the authorities for investigation.
Aminuddin said Ismail therefore needed to explain why his signature appeared on the document after Aminuddin had declined to sign it.
“If I could refuse to sign it when I was Menteri Besar because I had doubts about the process, how could the signature of the Menteri Besar after me subsequently appear on the same document? This is the question that needs to be explained directly to the people,” he said.
Aminuddin also highlighted conflicting interpretations of Article 10.
He said the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), on Sept 17, took the position that the April 19 proclamation was invalid because, in its view, the mandatory requirements of Article 10 had not been complied with.
He said the AGC also maintained that the Menteri Besar and state Executive Council did not have unilateral authority to vacate the position of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar.
The Secretariat of the Four Undangs, however, has disputed that position, saying inquiries conducted on March 5 and April 19 had fulfilled the requirements of Article 10.
Aminuddin said the conflicting positions demonstrated that compliance with Article 10 was a substantive constitutional issue that should not be reduced to blame being placed on the previous administration.
“I am prepared to take responsibility for every decision I made while serving as Menteri Besar. If any of my decisions are to be questioned, produce the documents, dates and relevant legal provisions. I will answer based on the records,” he said.
He also urged Ismail to explain the circumstances surrounding his signature and his subsequent claim that he had been forced to sign.
“In matters involving the Constitution of the State of Negeri Sembilan, Adat Perpatih and the institution of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, explanations to the people must be based on the actual facts, process and records,” he said. - September 25, 2026
