Chieftain dismissed, titles revoked: Negeri Sembilan palace readies to swear in next government

KUALA LUMPUR - Negeri Sembilan ruler Muhriz Munawir has convened the state’s highest authority on customary law on the eve of the Aug 1 snap polls in a move that will strengthen support for his role in selecting the next chief minister.Sources told The Straits Times that members of the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) were notified late on July 30 that it will meet the next evening to hear a series of complaints against the Undang of Jelebu, Maarof Mat Rashad, and affirm his removal as one of the state’s four territorial chieftains.This comes after two new chieftains loyal to Muhriz were installed on June 27, following the Undang’s attempt to depose him in April.Maarof’s dismissal means that Muhriz is likely to have the backing of two out of three remaining Undang when deciding which newly elected assemblyman commands the confidence of the state legislature.“Complaints about the Undang from the Jelebu Luak date back to 2022 and there was even a representation this week,” a palace adviser told ST. “Therefore, if a new chief minister was selected with Maarof in attendance, the appointment’s legitimacy would come into question as the Luak has already made known that he no longer leads them.”Luak is a term in Negeri Sembilan’s Adat Perpatih customs referring to the four territories and their community leaders that each elect an Undang.According to the Negeri Sembilan constitution, the Undang have wide powers including electing the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, or Yamtuan, from among the royal family and calling for an inquiry to dismiss the ruler. More pertinently, the majority of the Undang must agree with the monarch’s choice of a chief minister.Earlier on July 30, Muhriz also stripped senior opposition figure Rais Yatim of his royal honours, a move following revelations of the latter’s key role in the four Undang’s revolt against the throne, including proclaiming Muhriz’s cousin as the new monarch.The royal crisis erupted on April 19 after the four Undang declared that Muhriz was no longer fit to rule – a retaliatory move after the DKU two days earlier affirmed a decision by local grassroots leaders to dismiss the Undang of Sungei Ujong.In response, chief minister Aminuddin Harun, a vice-president in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat, said his administration still recognised Muhriz as the legitimate sovereign.The UMNO-led Barisan Nasional (BN) then seized the opportunity to withdraw support for Aminuddin, citing his interference in royal affairs. This deprived him of a majority in the legislature, forcing the assembly to be dissolved on June 5 and a snap election to be called.ST reported that a meeting of the Conference of Rulers – made up of Malaysia’s nine hereditary state rulers – scheduled for June was postponed because of uncertainty over the Negeri Sembilan throne. Several government and legal sources confirmed to ST that five of the nine state monarchs decided to call off the conference, preferring that Muhriz resolves the royal crisis before the next rulers meeting in October.Thus, the July 31 DKU meeting is set to head off the clearest and most present issue, which is legitimately swearing in a new Negeri Sembilan government.The vote for the 36 seats at the state election is largely a battle between PH and a so-called Malay unity pact between BN and the opposition Perikatan Nasional coalition.ST reported on July 30 that a significant number of the Malay majority in Negeri Sembilan are concerned about allegations that PH has interfered in the state’s customs, known as Adat Perpatih. Malays make up the largest ethnic group in 26 of the electoral seats.Although the nine state monarchs are constitutionally tasked with being guardians of Malay and Islamic interests, the Undang of Johol told a July 24 gathering to demonstrate the strength of the Malay community by “establishing a Malay-led government”.Sign up for our weekly Asian Insider Malaysia Edition newsletter to make sense of the big stories in MalaysiShannon Teoh is The Straits Times’ bureau chief for Malaysia, where he has reported on various beats since 1998.