Kuala Lampur, Sept. 16 -- The events unfolding in Negeri Sembilan should concern every Malaysian who believes in constitutional government, the rule of law and the preservation of our institutions.

I say this not from the standpoint of personalities, political parties or competing factions. Nor do I wish to prejudge matters that may ultimately require judicial determination. My concern is more fundamental.

What happens when political action, customary authority and constitutional power collide? Where are the boundaries of authority? And, most importantly, when there is disagreement about those boundaries, who determines what the Constitution permits?

These questions go far beyond Negeri Sembilan.

At the heart of the present controvers...