Negeri Sembilan royal dispute: Sungei Ujong Undang says Tuanku Muhriz removal bid invalid despite purported MB sign-off

SEREMBAN, Sept 9 — Sungei Ujong Undang Dato’ Klana Petra Muhammad Faris Johari Meor Ngah today said a declaration purportedly signed by the Negeri Sembilan menteri besar concerning the removal of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, was invalid and could not take effect.

In a statement, Muhammad Faris maintained that the Negeri Sembilan Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) had ruled at an earlier sitting that the April 19 declaration concerning Tuanku Muhriz had no legal effect because it did not meet the requirements of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution.

He also maintained that three of the four Undangs involved in the attempted removal no longer had authority as ruling chiefs after losing their customary positions in their respective luak.

“Any matter concerning the position of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan at present must have our decree in our capacity as Imam of the Undang Yang Empat,” he said.

The statement followed a claim by another group of traditional leaders that Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Ismail Lasim had signed the proclamation at Istana Laguna Biru in Port Dickson on August 3, completing the document first issued on April 19.

The group, comprising the Undang Yang Empat, Tunku Besar Tampin and Datuk Shahbandar Sungei Ujong, called for the proclamation to be enforced immediately.

Ismail, who was sworn in as menteri besar before Tuanku Muhriz on August 2, reaffirmed his full support and loyalty to the ruler on September 6 but did not directly address whether he had signed the document.

At its July 31 sitting, which was chaired by Tuanku Muhriz, the DKU recognised Muhammad Faris as the lawful Undang Luak Sungei Ujong and ruled that Mubarak Thahak, Abdul Rahim Yasin and Maarof Mat Rashad did not have the legal authority to exercise powers under Article X of the state constitution.

The dispute began in April when four individuals claiming to be the Undangs announced Tuanku Muhriz’s removal and named Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar as the new ruler — a move rejected by the then state government.