Negeri Sembilan’s DKU recognises new Undangs, declares the Jelebu seat vacant and rules the April 19 move against Tuanku Muhriz unconstitutional.
SEREMBAN: The Negeri Sembilan Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) has recognised the appointments of the new Undang of Luak Sungai Ujong and Luak Rembau, while declaring the office of the Undang of Luak Jelebu vacant.
The decisions were made at a special meeting on July 31 chaired by the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir.
In a statement issued today, the DKU said the meeting met the quorum requirements under Clause 20 of the Undang-Undang Tubuh Kerajaan Negeri Sembilan 1959, with the attendance of the newly recognised Undang of Luak Sungai Ujong and Luak Rembau, as well as the Tunku Besar of Seri Menanti.
The council recognised the proclamation of Datuk Klana Petra Muhammad Faris Johari as the Undang of Luak Sungai Ujong and Datuk Sedia Raja have Hassan Ab Hamid as the Undang of Luak Rembau, saying both appointments were made in accordance with the respective customary laws of the two luaks.
The DKU also received a notification from the Ibu Soko and Anak Waris of Ayer, Luak Sungai Ujong that Datuk Seri Utama Haji Badarudin Abdul Khalid had been removed as Datuk Shahbandar under the customary law of Luak Sungai Ujong, effective July 30.
It said the office of Datuk Shahbandar was now vacant, while the process of appointing a successor had yet to be completed.
The council also declared the office of the Undang of Luak Jelebu vacant after accepting the dismissal of Datuk Haji Maarof Mat Rashad as the 16th hereditary Undang of Luak Jelebu.
The DKU said Maarof had been removed over customary offences, with his dismissal taking effect from May 31, 2023, and that the office had been deemed vacant from that date.
Consequently, it said the Darjah Tertinggi Negeri Sembilan (DTNS) conferred on Maarof during his tenure as Undang of Luak Jelebu had been revoked.
The DKU further ruled that an announcement dated April 19, 2026, was unconstitutional as it contravened Article 10 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution and was therefore null, void and of no legal effect.
It also determined that Mubarak Thahak, Abdul Rahim Yasin and Maarof, who purported to hold the offices of Undang of Luak Sungai Ujong, Undang of Luak Rembau and Undang of Luak Jelebu respectively, had either ceased to lawfully hold office or had never been lawfully appointed.
The council said Mubarak had been removed in accordance with the customary law of Luak Sungai Ujong, while Abdul Rahim’s appointment as the Undang of Luak Rembau was never completed through the Istiadat Menzahirkan Kejadian Undang and therefore did not comply with the state’s customary law.
As such, the DKU said the three had no lawful authority to exercise powers under Article 10 of the state constitution, which sets out the circumstances under which the four Undang may collectively request the Yang di-Pertuan Besar to abdicate or temporarily withdraw from office.
The council said the April 19 announcement by Mubarak, Abdul Rahim, Maarof and the Undang of Luak Johol Muhammed Abdullah declaring that Tuanku Muhriz had been removed as the Yang di-Pertuan Besar was unconstitutional and had no legal effect, as three of the four individuals were, according to the DKU, not lawfully serving as Undang at the time.
The developments come a day after the Datuk-Datuk Lembaga Luak Jelebu claimed at a press conference that the special DKU meeting was unlawful and had no legal effect.
The dispute over the Negeri Sembilan royal institution remains the subject of ongoing court proceedings.
