Negeri Sembilan’s royal dispute deepens as dissenters’ seats lie empty at state assembly

SEREMBAN, Negeri Sembilan – Negeri Sembilan’s royal tussle continued on April 23 as chieftains who called for the ousting of the state’s Malay ruler boycotted the opening of the state assembly – with the sitting eventually postponed.

Two seats on either side of Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir – normally reserved for the four chieftains, known locally as the Undang – were noticeably empty in the Chamber. It is the state’s convention for the chieftains to accompany the ruler at the opening of the state assembly.

At the beginning of his royal speech, Tuanku Muhriz stressed that the absence of the chieftains would not affect the legitimacy of the state assembly sitting.

“The government should function normally to take care of the people’s welfare,” he told the state assembly.

Tuanku Muhriz also urged all stakeholders to act and decide based on established rules and laws.

“Decisions or actions must never be influenced solely by personal desires or emotions. Failure to adhere to these principles may undermine administrative integrity as well as the well-being of the state,” he said at the end of the speech.

The boycott came after the four said on April 22 that they wanted the opening of the state assembly to be deferred pending the installation of a new ruler of their choosing: Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar.

“We ordered the Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan to comply and not act beyond the powers conferred upon him. We have decided not to attend the opening of the state assembly,” the statement read, referring to Datuk Aminuddin Harun.

State assembly delayed indefinitely

The state assembly sitting was adjourned shortly after its opening, breaking with the previous practice of allowing debate on the royal address to take place. Normally, the debate lasts a few days, stretching into the following week.

State assembly speaker M.K. Ibrahim Abdul Rahman told reporters: “The government will table a new date for the ruler’s approval. There will be no sitting next week.

“I adjourned the sitting to smoothen the state assembly’s proceedings. I hope the situation in Negeri Sembilan can be resolved.”

Before the opening, about 30 supporters of Tuanku Muhriz and Mr Aminuddin gathered outside the palace – approximately 200m from the state assembly – at 8.30am.

They held up banners and chanted “Daulat Tuanku” (Malay for “Long live the King”) and presented a memorandum to the palace expressing their support and loyalty to both leaders, purportedly on behalf of the four districts.

“I would like to state here that the memorandum is intended to convey the support and unwavering loyalty of the people of Negeri Sembilan, as well as the heirs of the districts,” Professor Mohd Aluwi Sari, who led the group, told reporters.

The four chieftains declared on April 19 that Tuanku Muhriz had been deposed due to “misconduct” – without further elaboration – and named Tunku Nadzaruddin as the next ruler. Tunku Nadzaruddin is the son of the late Tuanku Ja’afar, who was Tuanku Muhriz’s predecessor.

This came after one of the four, Datuk Mubarak Thahak, the Undang of Sungei Ujong district, was stripped of his position on April 17 by the state’s advisory body on Malay customs.

His removal, reportedly tied to 33 alleged breaches of tradition and law, was backdated to May 13, 2025.

The chieftains are mandated under the Negeri Sembilan Constitution to appoint and remove the state’s Malay ruler, who is styled as “Yang di-Pertuan Besar” rather than the more common “Sultan”.

On the afternoon of April 20, the four had also called on state assemblymen to oust Menteri Besar Aminuddin over his early-morning dismissal of their attempt to remove Tuanku Muhriz.

Dispute set to drag on

Despite the fact that the matter is now under a rare national spotlight, observers have downplayed its impact on the federal – and even the state – government.

Dr Faizal Musa, visiting senior fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, said the matter involves only Malay customary laws.

“In order to force a Yang di-Pertuan Besar to abdicate, the process also needs to go through the customary laws, and you need to have a very clear reason to remove him.

“There was no clear reason given,” added Dr Faizal, who is also a research fellow at the Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

He also pointed out that the public has no issue with Tuanku Muhriz’s performance as a ruler, as he is serious about tackling corruption.

However, Dr Faizal predicted that this will be a prolonged crisis and may end up in court.

“In fact, this could be an argument that the four Undang have failed in carrying out their duties. Three of the chiefs were invited but did not attend,” Dr Faizal said, referring to their absence at the state assembly opening.

“Their followers are observing this, and it could become a strong reason for them to be dismissed as well,” he added.

Constitutional lawyer Lim Wei Jiet echoed Dr Faizal’s sentiment, saying the matter is an expression of “symbolic dissatisfaction” at best, and will not affect the stability of the state or federal government.

“I think we just have to wait until further developments emerge. It certainly has no effect on the federal level. It is purely a state matter,” Mr Lim said.