KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 19): The Negeri Sembilan Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) and its secretary last Friday (Oct 16) filed an application at the Seremban High Court, seeking permission to initiate contempt proceedings against Menteri Besar Datuk Ismail Lasim, its 10 former executive council (exco) members, and six others.

In a statement on Monday, the DKU and its secretary Raja Norazli Raja Nordin said the filing of the action through Messrs Halim & Ismail follows the decision of the appointed state exco on Sept 15, recorded in a statement the next day, that directions have been given to the state administration, and Ismail’s letter dated Sept 17, to the Penyimpan Mohor Besar Raja-Raja (Keeper of the Rulers' Seal).

On Sept 17, it was reported that Ismail had sent a letter to the Ruler’s Conference, claiming that the exco had validated the removal of Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir from the position of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar.

This led the DKU to accuse the then-exco of treason and attempted coup d'etat against Tuanku Muhriz.

On Sept 22, Ismail had also announced the purported suspension of the state secretary and the state legal adviser, the statement further added.

“The applicants’ (DKU and Raja Norazli) solicitors had written on Sept 16 to say that the actions being taken are considered to be in breach of the June 5 injunction order,” the statement added.

“The leave to initiate contempt proceedings is pending before the High Court, and that allegations relied on are set out in the applications and in the affidavits in support,” the statement added.

The 17 named by DKU and Raja Norazli include Ismail, Datuk Maarof Mat Rashid (the Undang for Jelebu), Datuk Muhammed Abdullah (the Undang for Johol), and Datuk Abd Rahim Yasin (the Undang for Rembau), as well as Datuk Mubarak Thahak (whose status as the Undang of Sungai Ujong is under dispute), Tunku Besar Tampin Tunku Syed Razman Tunku Syed Idrus Al Qadri, and Datuk Seri Badarudin Abdul Khalid (Datuk Shahbandar Sungai Ujong).

Others include former exco members Datuk Mohd Faizal Ramli, Datuk Zaifulbahri Idris, Datuk Mustapha Nagoor, Siow Kong Choon, Siti Nur Umaira Hasim, Datuk Mohd Azna Amin, Datuk Mohd Razi Mohd Ali, Suhaimizan Bizar, Mohd Fairuz Mohd Isa, and Datuk Razali Abu Samah.

It is to be noted that Tuanku Muhriz had last week installed Datuk Azrin Khairi as the 17th Undang of Jelebu. Sometime before that, he had also installed Datuk Muhammad Faris Johari as the new Undang of Sungai Ujong and Datuk Hassan Abd Hamid as the Undang of Rembau, while Muhammed remains the Undang of Johol.

The current Negeri Sembilan imbroglio began in May, when Maarof, Muhammed, Abd Rahim, Mubarak, Tunku Syed Razman, and Badarudin filed a legal action, wanting a court order for the DKU minutes dated April 17 to be produced, following Mubarak’s expulsion which they are also challenging.

The DKU and Raja Norazli opposed the application, citing that DKU matters are non-justiciable as it does not have jurisdiction, and hence the court also refused a stay over the decision to remove Mubarak.

Following Mubarak’s expulsion, the chieftains announced the removal of Tuanku Muhriz on April 19, but this was not recognised by then-menteri besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun.

On June 5, the DKU and Raja Norazli obtained an interim injunction granted by Seremban High Court judge Roz Mawar Rozain barring the six Undangs and chieftains from holding any DKU meeting or event.

However, within the same day, the six of them were involved in the installation and proclamation of Tunku Datuk Seri Nadzaruddin Tuanku Jaafar as the new Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, replacing Tuanku Muhriz, resulting in the leave for contempt sought by the DKU and Raja Norazli being granted by Roz Mawar on July 8.

The contempt hearing against the six still has not begun, since the six have obtained a stay of proceedings at the Court of Appeal while they appeal against Roz Mawar’s July 8 decision.

The newly filed contempt proceedings against the proposed 17 contemptors in the 150-page court document stems from them allegedly violating the same June 5 court order involving the six, Ismail, and the 10 former exco members.

The earlier three contempt bids follow the July 8 decision, and two more which are still pending, following the six allegedly not wanting to accept documents related to the July 8 decision, and another following the action of six of them filing a separate action at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

The last action by the six was withdrawn before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Norliza Othman last month.

The latest contempt action follows the injunction granted on June 5, to bar or restrain the original six people or their servants or agents, from taking any step that would alter or interfere with the status quo of the DKU’s affairs as at May 21, 2026.

The June 5 court order, the press statement added, remains in force.

“The applications allege that the six Undangs and chietains have acted in breach of that order by continuing to give effect to the purported proclamation of April 19, 2026, to the change in the office of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar.

“The acts relied on are a series of public statements and press conferences between Sept 5, and Oct 11 this year, including the Sept 5 statement, the press conference on Sept 9 and Sept 24, and the joint statements on Sept 17, Sept 22, Oct 2 and Oct 5, in each of which the purported proclamation is said to be valid and effective.”

The applications, which were filed by the DKU and Raja Norazli, further allege that the MB and the 10 former exco members, knowing of the order, took steps to implement the purported proclamation, and in doing so, acted to frustrate the purpose for which the court order was made.

“The acts relied on are the Negeri Sembilan exco decision on Sept 15, the statement issued on Sept 16, the directions said to have been given to the Negeri Sembilan administration, and the letter Ismail sent to the rulers,” it added.

Adding another dimension, earlier this month the 10 exco members had filed a suit naming the state secretary and the Negeri Sembilan government as defendants to challenge the revocation of their appointment.

Former Negeri Sembilan MB and former Dewan Negara Speaker Tan Sri Rais Yatim was last month charged with sedition at the Melaka High Court for his statement on the June 5 installation of Tunku Nadzaruddin.

Read also:
Zahid tells BN reps in Negeri Sembilan to stay out of matters involving customary law, royal institution
Malay rulers urge outsiders not to politicise Negeri Sembilan throne dispute
Tuanku Muhriz: Royal succession disputes must follow adat, law
Azrin Khairi installed as 17th Undang of Jelebu
All deposed Negeri Sembilan excos file suit challenging their expulsion
COA gives stay over contempt proceedings on Undangs and chieftains