KUALA LUMPUR — Negeri Sembilan's Budget 2027 approval process faces uncertainty amid the continued absence of all 10 state executive council (Exco) members, with state DAP chairman J. Arul Kumar questioning how the budget can proceed without the council's approval.
Arul said the state budget would normally require approval at an exco meeting before being tabled in the state legislative assembly, raising concerns over how the process could proceed without the council meeting.
“Without the state Exco, I also do not know how they will table the budget at the state assembly sitting,” he told Scoop when contacted.
Drawing on his eight years as an Exco member, he said the budget had always been approved at an Exco meeting before being presented to the assembly.
“The budget comes from the state government. The state government does not mean the Menteri Besar alone; it involves the state executive council,” he said.
He also questioned how the budget debate could proceed without a seconder to support the motion when Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ismail Lasim tables it in the assembly.
“Without a secondary support, I also do not know how the assembly members can proceed with the debate. That is another issue,” he said.
His remarks come after Ismail said he would wait for the court's decision before appointing replacement Exco members following the revocation of the 10 incumbents' appointments by the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir.
It was reported that Ismail also dismissed speculation that he intended to resign as Menteri Besar, maintaining that he continued to enjoy the support of government assemblymen.
The state government is facing a constitutional dispute over the revocation of the Exco appointments, which took effect on September 20 and was gazetted on September 24. The palace cited an alleged breach of the Exco members' oaths of allegiance.
The former Exco members have challenged the revocation in court, arguing that their appointments could not be cancelled unilaterally without Menteri Besar's advice. The dispute remains unresolved.
Arul warned that the absence of Exco meetings was also affecting routine state administration, including land matters, local council appointments and business licence approvals.
He said at least four Exco members were needed to form a quorum, adding that decisions on matters such as reductions in land premiums, land title transfers and changes in land use required Exco approval.
“Although some powers remain with the Menteri Besar, most matters must go through an Exco meeting,” he said.
Arul Kumar estimated that nearly 2,000 papers could be awaiting decisions after about six weeks without Exco meetings, warning that the backlog could affect development and government appointments.
“Normally, an Exco meeting deals with around 200 to 300 papers. If there have been no meetings for six weeks, I think there are almost 2,000 papers awaiting decisions,” he said.
He also claimed that new business licences in Seremban had not been approved for more than a month, approaching two months, because the necessary local council meetings had not taken place.
“The people will be affected, and development will also be affected. New government appointments will be affected as well,” he said.
Arul urged the state government to resolve the impasse through discussions with the ruler, arguing that the administration should not remain unable to make decisions while the legal process continues.
“This is not a political issue. They must identify the problem and find a solution before they can move forward,” he said.
He added that DAP had conveyed its concerns to Ismail and would seek a meeting with the Menteri Besar to discuss the matter further.
“We believe they must resolve this matter as soon as possible so that the government can function smoothly,” he said. - October 28, 2026
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