KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 1): Three of the four Undangs who declared Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir’s supposed removal as the Negeri Sembilan Yang di-Pertuan Besar in April were no longer valid ruling chiefs when they did so, the state’s Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) announced.

In an official perutusan issued by the secretariat of the DKU following a special sitting on July 31, the state’s highest authority on Malay custom said the declaration issued by the four individuals on April 19 was unconstitutional, null and void.

According to the council, three of the four figures behind the document — Mubarak Thahak, Abdul Rahim Yasin and Maarof Mat Rashad —  who claimed to speak on behalf of Sungei Ujong, Rembau and Jelebu, respectively, held no valid customary standing at the material time.

It said Mubarak and Maarof had already been stripped of their posts under the respective customary procedures prior to the declaration they made, while Abdul Rahim was never lawfully installed under custom, as his appointment was never solemnised through the compulsory proclamation ceremony (Istiadat Menzahirkan Kejadian Undang).

Maarof was deemed removed as Undang after Jelebu's lineage elders (Waris, Anak Buah and Ibu Soko) stripped him of his position for breaching customary laws on May 31, 2023, while Mubarak was likewise removed under Sungei Ujong custom.
 
Representatives of the Ibu Soko Waris Berundang — the female lineage elders and custodians of customary law from Jelebu — joined the council meeting on Friday and presented their unanimous decision regarding Maarof, which the DKU officially endorsed.

Because the trio were not recognised ruling chiefs, the DKU stressed that they possessed no constitutional authority to make state-level declarations. Hence, the statement they issued violated Article 10 of the Negeri Sembilan constitution and carried zero legal weight, it said.

Article 10 outlines the constitutional mechanism for the relinquishment of the throne or the removal of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, and the legal procedures and due process required as safeguards if the ruling chiefs seek to require the ruler to abdicate or step down.

The DKU’s declaration comes as the leadership tussle surrounding Negeri Sembilan’s chieftaincy has been brought to the courts.

The council session was chaired by Tuanku Muhriz and attended by Tunku Besar Seri Menanti Tunku Ali Redhauddin, alongside the newly appointed Undangs of Sungei Ujong and Rembau, Muhammad Faris Johari and Hassan Ab Hamid, meeting the constitutional quorum requirement, the DKU said.

It also affirmed the appointments of Muhammad Faris and Hassan on June 27 as valid, saying both complied with their respective Sungai Ujong and Rembau customary laws or adat.

The council also recorded the dismissal of Badarudin Abdul Khalid as the Dato’ Shahbandar of Sungei Ujong by local lineage elders — the Sungai Ujong Ibu Soko and Anak-Anak Waris — on July 30, leaving the office officially vacant.

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