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SEREMBAN - The Negeri Sembilan government wants all parties concerned to immediately find a resolution in a prudent, orderly and dignified manner to restore harmony in the state, says Datuk Ismail Lasim.
The Menteri Besar said the state is currently mired in a constitutional and adat crisis that must be resolved according to the Laws of the Constitution of Negeri Sembilan 1959, the state's Adat Perpatih and established customary institutions.
"The state government will respect whatever final decision made legally by institutions that have jurisdictions according to adat (customary laws) and the state laws.
"We do not wish to usurp the role of customary institutions in determining disputes regarding custom and the monarchy," he said in a press statement after a session with the media at a hotel on Thursday.
The state government, he said, respects the Federal Government, the Attorney General's Chambers and all institutions established under the Federal Constitution.
At the same time, he said equal respect must be accorded to state laws, the democratically elected state government, and the special position of Negeri Sembilan's adat institutions.
"The state government reminds all parties, including any agency or authority at the federal level, to refrain from taking any action that could be construed as usurping functions, applying pressure, or dictating decisions on matters that legally and customarily fall within the jurisdiction of Negeri Sembilan," he said.
"The principle of healthy federalism demands that the boundaries of our respective powers be respected," he added.
"Cooperation between the Federal Government and the state government must be built upon mutual respect, the supremacy of the constitution, and the rule of law, and not through coercion or attempts to override each other's jurisdiction," he said.
Ismail said the state government also regrets that the dispute was being portrayed as a direct confrontation between the administration and the monarchy.
"The issue that needs to be resolved is the dispute regarding the processes, jurisdiction and interpretation of the actions of the relevant customary institutions.
"This is the matter that should properly be resolved through the channels provided by custom and state laws and not through public mudslinging," he said.
Ismail said as a government granted the mandate of the people and holding executive power, his administration will continue to govern the state, protect the public and defend the supremacy of the law.
His administration, he said, neither wants a confrontation with the royal institution nor wants adat to be turned into political fodder.
"At the same time, the institutional and customary crisis must not be used as an excuse to disrupt, intimidate, or restrict a legitimate state government from executing the trust mandated by the people," he said.
Ismail said the responsibility of his administration was to ensure that state services continue uninterrupted while preserving the dignity of the monarchy and customary laws.
"Customs must be defended, the constitution must be upheld, the mandate of the people must be respected, and institutions must be preserved.
"May wisdom, consensus, and a sense of responsibility towards Negeri Sembilan ultimately prevail over all differences," he said.
Ismail expressed hope that his administration would be given the space to carry out its duties legally, orderly and effectively without unlawful interference or pressure.
He said no party should use institutional disputes as an excuse to paralyse the state administration, block executive decisions, or disrupt public services. - THE STAR
