Zahid denies receiving Negeri Sembilan MB's resignation letter

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said there was no letter from Ismail Lasim on his supposed resignation as Negeri Sembilan menteri besar.PETALING JAYA: Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi this evening denied receiving Ismail Lasim’s resignation letter as the Negeri Sembilan menteri besar.“What letter? There was none,” Berita Harian quoted him as saying.He was responding to rumours that Ismail had tendered his resignation after signing a proclamation seeking to remove Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir as the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan.In a Bernama report, Zahid said Ismail’s claim that he signed the proclamation under duress should be verified by the lawyer who was present at the time.He said this would be the best way to establish the veracity of Ismail’s claim.“I think it would be good if the statement is verified by the lawyer who was there when the proclamation was signed,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Umno Youth, Wanita and Puteri general assemblies in Kuala Lumpur.Earlier today, Ismail said he signed the proclamation under duress and lodged a police report yesterday for an investigation into the matter.He also rejected the document’s validity.Ismail, the Juasseh assemblyman, was sworn in as Negeri Sembilan’s 14th menteri besar in August. Presiden Umno Zahid Hamidi berkata tidak menerima surat peletakan jawatan daripada Menteri Besar Negeri Sembilan Ismail Lasim.PETALING JAYA: Presiden Umno Zahid Hamidi nafi terima surat peletakan jawatan Ismail Lasim sebagai menteri besar Negeri Sembilan.Timbalan perdana menteri berkata, tidak menerima sebarang surat daripada Adun Juasseh itu."Surat apa?

Tak ada," katanya menurut Harian Metro.Beliau ditemui pemberita di Perhimpunan Agung Umno 2026 di Kuala Lumpur.Sebelum ini, timbul desas-desus Ismail menyerahkan surat peletakan jawatan sebagai menteri besar Negeri Sembilan susulan dakwaan pengisytiharan menurunkan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir sebagai Yang Dipertuan Besar.Ismail bagaimanapun mendakwa dipaksa menandatangani dokumen proklamasi seperti yang tular di media sosial.Beliau membuat laporan polis kira-kira 6 petang semalam bagi membolehkan siasatan dijalankan pihak berkuasa.Semalam, beberapa individu termasuk Undang Luak Johol Muhammed Abdullah dalam sidang media mendakwa Ismail sudah menandatangani dokumen proklamasi untuk menurunkan Tuanku Muhriz.Mereka mendakwa, Ismail menandatangani dan melengkapkan surat cara proklamasi di bawah Perkara 10(2) Undang-undang Tubuh Kerajaan Negeri Sembilan yang bertarikh 3 Ogos.Sebelum ini, Sekretariat Undang Yang Empat menuntut pentadbiran negeri, khasnya setiausaha kerajaan negeri, mematuhi proklamasi penurunan takhta Tuanku Muhriz yang didakwa ditandatangani Ismail di Istana Laguna Biru, Port Dickson, bulan lalu.Sementara itu, ketika ditanya berkaitan pembabitannya dalam satu mesyuarat berkaitan isu tertentu di Negeri Sembilan, Zahid menafikan perkara tersebut.Katanya, perkara itu juga sudah dinafikan oleh Ismail dalam satu kenyataan."Saya tiada (dalam perjumpaan itu) Memang saya tiada, dia (Ismail) dah nafikan yang saya memang tiada ketika itu," katanya.