NEGERI Sembilan’s Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) has filed a fresh application at the Seremban High Court seeking permission to initiate contempt proceedings against Menteri Besar Datuk Ismail Lasim and 16 others over alleged violations of a court order governing the body’s affairs.
Filed on Oct 15 by DKU and its secretary, Raja Norazli Raja Nordin, the application names 10 former state executive council (exco) members and six other individuals linked to the dispute over the state’s royal institution.
The applicants allege that the 17 acted in breach of an injunction issued on June 5, which barred the plaintiffs in the original suit from making or implementing decisions concerning the DKU or taking steps to change the status quo that existed before May 21.
According to the court documents, the applicants contend that the injunction was disregarded through a series of actions intended to give effect to a purported proclamation dated April 19 concerning the position of Yang di-Pertuan Besar.
They cited public statements and press conferences between Sept 5 and Oct 11, alleging that the plaintiffs continued to assert that the proclamation was valid despite the court order.
A central allegation concerns an exco meeting on Sept 15, at which the applicants claim a collective decision was made to declare Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir dethroned and recognise Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar as the state’s 12th Yang di-Pertuan Besar.
The applicants argue that the decision went beyond the royal dispute and interfered with the DKU’s administration, which they say was protected by the June 5 injunction.
They also cited a letter Ismail sent to the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal on Sept 17, allegedly conveying the exco’s decision and seeking to bring the matter to the attention of the Malay Rulers.
Another incident raised in the application was a purported exco decision on Sept 22 to suspend state secretary Datuk Mohd Zafir Ibrahim and state legal adviser Datuk Muzalmah Mustapha Kamal with immediate effect.
The applicants said Ismail and the former exco members had been notified of the injunction through a letter from their solicitors dated Sept 16.
They further argued that a person need not be a party to the original suit to face contempt proceedings if they knowingly assist in breaching a court order or act to defeat its purpose.
The six other individuals named in the application are Datuk Mubarak Thahak, Datuk Maarof Mat Rashad and Datuk Abd Rahim Yasin, whose positions as Undangs are disputed; Johol Undang Datuk Muhammed Abdullah; Tunku Besar Tampin Tunku Syed Razman Tunku Syed Idrus Al-Qadri; and Datuk Syahbandar Sungai Ujong Datuk Seri Badarudin Abdul Khalid.
The latest application comes as separate contempt proceedings against the plaintiffs remain subject to an interim stay granted by the Court of Appeal on July 29.
DKU and Raja Norazli maintain that the stay does not suspend the June 5 injunction, which they say remains in force.
The Court of Appeal is scheduled to deliver its decision on the stay application on Nov 4.
The allegations in the latest application have yet to be determined by the court. - October 19, 2026