Senior opposition figure Rais Yatim loses Negeri Sembilan royal titles over role in palace crisis

KUALA LUMPUR - Negeri Sembilan state ruler Muhriz Munawir has stripped senior opposition figure Rais Yatim of his royal honours two days before the state election, a move that comes after the latter had proclaimed Muhriz’s cousin as the new monarch.The rare move followed revelations that Rais had secretly been the legal adviser for chieftains in the state, called Undang, throughout a palace crisis that led to a snap state election that will take place on Aug 1.Rais’ two royal titles were revoked with immediate effect, said state secretary Zafir Ibrahim in a July 30 statement. “This decision was taken to preverse the majesty, sanctity and dignity of Negeri Sembilan’s royal institution,” he added.The punishment lands amid a racially charged state election, where Rais, 84, who served as Negeri Sembilan chief minister from 1978 to 1982, now chairs a party that is a new entrant to the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.Sources close to the palace told The Straits Times that the move by Yang di-Pertuan Besar Muhriz Munawir came as a result of a string of Rais’ actions against the throne stretching back several years.These include his involvement dating back to 2022 in encouraging the Undang of Jelebu to refer to himself as “Sultan” and the proclamation of Muhriz’s cousin Nadzaruddin Ja’afar as the new Yang di-Pertuan Besar, or Yamtuan, on June 5, 2026. Both actions are viewed as treasonous by some in the royal court.“The Yamtuan takes the removal of titles as a serious step and has rarely done it. One of the rare occasions was stripping Najib of his titles after he was found guilty of graft related to the 1MDB scandal,” said one palace adviser who asked for anonymity due to the confidential nature of how the decision was reached. Rais, who positions himself as an expert on Negeri Sembilan’s unique customary law, has been advising the Undang throughout the ongoing palace crisis that began in April.Among the Undang’s powers are to elect the state’s Yamtuan from among the royal family and also call for an inquiry to dismiss the sovereign. In various matters including swearing in a government, their views must be sought and a majority must assent to the Yamtuan’s pick of chief minister.On April 17, the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU), the state’s highest authority on Malay customs, affirmed a decision by local grassroots leaders to dismiss the Undang of Sungei Ujong, leading the four Undang to declare on April 19 that Muhriz was no longer fit to rule.In response, state 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) seized on the chance 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.On June 5, Rais led the local chieftains in ordaining Nadzaruddin, the son of the previous Yamtuan, as the new monarch, deepening the constitutional crisis. It was later revealed that the former Cabinet minister, despite positioning himself as an independent expert, had been serving the Undang as their chief legal adviser, bringing his objectivity on the matter into question.Rais was on June 21 made chairman of former home minister Hamzah Zainudin’s new Parti Wawasan Negara, which has joined the Parti Islam SeMalaysia-led PN. His son Danni Rais is contesting the Klawang constituency in the Negeri Sembilan state election for Wawasan.ST reported that a meeting of the Conference of Rulers - made up of Malaysia’s nine hereditary state rulers - in June was postponed due to the uncertainty over the Negeri Sembilan throne. This was despite the advice of the Attorney General that Muhriz remains its sole occupant because his removal by the Undang was not legal. Chief among the reasons for the postponement, ST was informed by official sources, was that there was no inquiry formed to determine Muhriz’s fitness to continue ruling, as required by the state constitution.The revocation of Rais’ Negeri Sembilan awards comes amid an election campaign that has seen rising racial rhetoric. An UMNO leader is under investigation for causing public disharmony after claiming that the palace was “fully controlled” by the Democratic Action Party (DAP). The Chinese-dominated party is the largest member of Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, which is seeking a third consecutive term at the helm of the central state.The vote for the 36 seats at the state election is largely a battle between PH against a so-called Malay unity pact between BN - which still partners PH in Anwar’s federal government - and the opposition PN coalition.ST reported on July 30 that a significant number from 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 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 Malaysia