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NEGERI Sembilan’s highest customary rulers have openly rebuked the secretary of the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) for allegedly refusing to comply with instructions to convene a special assembly sitting, in a rare escalation of tensions within the state’s traditional constitutional structure.
The decision was announced after a meeting involving the majority of DKU members, during which Raja Norazli Raja Nordin was suspended immediately from his duties as secretary pending further notice.
Undang Luak Jelebu Datuk Maarof Mat Rashad said the rulers were deeply angered and disappointed by what they described as the failure of the DKU secretary to obey a direct order issued by the joint rulers of Negeri Sembilan.
“We are deeply angered and disappointed over the failure of Raja Norazli Raja Nordin to comply with our order and decree as the Joint Rulers of the Negeri Sembilan government, as well as the majority members of the DKU, to arrange the Special DKU Meeting today,” he said during a press conference at the official residence of the Tunku Besar Tampin.
Maarof said the decision to suspend Raja Norazli was agreed during a preliminary meeting held earlier in the day.
“During today’s pre-meeting session, we also decided that Raja Norazli would be suspended from duty until a date to be announced later,” he said.
He added that a special committee would be established to temporarily carry out the responsibilities of the DKU secretary under existing legal provisions.
“We will also appoint a committee to perform the functions of the DKU Secretary based on the existing provisions,” Buletin TV3 reported him saying.
According to Maarof, an official suspension letter would be delivered to Raja Norazli later the same day.
The rulers also fixed June 5 as the new date for the Special DKU Meeting under Article 24 of the Negeri Sembilan State Constitution 1959 after the earlier attempt to convene the assembly failed.
“We gave one week for the Special DKU Meeting to be convened, but it failed despite the request made by the majority members of the DKU,” he said.
“We are now giving another one-week period for the Special Dewan Keadilan dan Undang Meeting following the request by six out of the eight DKU members, which will be held on June 5, 2026, at the same venue.”
Maarof said all DKU members would again be invited to attend the meeting, including the Chief Secretary to the Government, the Attorney General and the Inspector-General of Police, who would attend as invited observers.
Also present during the press conference were Undang Luak Johol Datuk Muhammed Abdullah, Undang Luak Rembau Datuk Abdul Rahim Yasin, Tunku Besar Tampin Tunku Syed Razman Syed Idrus Al-Qadri and Datuk Syahbandar Sungai Ujong Datuk Seri Utama Badarudin Abdul Khalid.
The latest development follows a notice issued on May 24 by six senior customary rulers instructing Raja Norazli to issue invitations for the special DKU sitting scheduled for today at the official hall of the Tunku Besar Tampin.
However, Raja Norazli informed the rulers yesterday that he was unable to issue the meeting notice due to an originating summons filed by the rulers, which is currently being heard before the Seremban High Court.
The dispute has intensified scrutiny over governance procedures within Negeri Sembilan’s unique adat-based constitutional system, which combines royal customs with formal state administration. - May 29, 2026
