SEREMBAN: The Negri Sembilan royal crisis has plunged into unprecedented chaos after the state’s powerful ruling chiefs officially proclaimed Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar as the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Besar.
The Undang and Tunku Besar Tampin proclaimed Tunku Nadzaruddin in a ceremony held at a hotel in Melaka after police refused to allow it to be held at the official residence of the Tunku Besar Tampin.
Tunku Nadzaruddin is the son of the 10th state ruler Tuanku Ja’afar Tuanku Abdul Rahman who reigned from 1967 until his death in December 2008.
Present at the hotel to witness the event were Undang Jelebu Datuk Maarof Mat Rashad and Tunku Besar Tampin Tunku Syed Razman Tunku Syed Idrus Al-Qadri.
Former mentri besar Tan Sri Rais Yatim, who was present at the ceremony and an expert on Negri Sembilan’s customs (Adat Perpatih), said the remaining three Undang followed the ceremony live via Zoom.
“The process was carried out in accordance with the adat and followed by a royal address,” Rais said.
The two other ruling chiefs are Undang of Johol Datuk Muhammad Abdullah and Undang of Rembau Datuk Raja Abdul Rahim Yasin.
They had initially arrived at the Tunku Besar’s residence but did not travel to the hotel in Melaka.
Datuk Mubarak Dohak, the former Undang of Sungei Ujong who was removed after a special sitting of Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) on April 17 this year, had also followed the proceedings live.
Mubarak is challenging his removal.
Rais said with the official proclamation, Nadzaruddin is free to carry out his royal duties.
He said the respective dato adat (customary chiefs) and lawyers had also followed the ceremony live.
He explained that they were guided by scripts prepared by experts, adding that the process went smoothly and the police eventually left the scene.
“I can tell you that the rule of law according to the Constitution has been done and the rigmarole of the Adat has been fulfilled,” he said.
He noted that it is now up to the next state government to execute the necessary provisions related to the proclamation.
Rais also questioned the move by the police to not allow the ceremony to be held at the Tunku Besar Tampin’s official residence.
“What wrong did he or the other adat practitioners do?” he said.
Rais said the ruling chiefs were also not given any notice on the matter by the authorities.
“The top leaders in Kuala Lumpur need to understand this and not treat it as a trivial matter,” he said.
Rais also alleged that Tunku Nadzaruddin was not allowed to leave the hotel where he was staying in Melaka.
“He was not allowed to attend the ceremony here to carry out his duties as the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Besar. The police also did not state why he was not allowed to come,” he said.
Rais said he would be meeting the police on the matter.
“I want to determine for the sake of the law and the information for people in this state, particularly under which provision of the law they are confining him in the hotel.
“Firstly, not allowing him to leave the premises to come here for a social responsibility.
“Number two, if at all true, why do they want to take him to Kuala Lumpur or another place as he has not committed any offence?” he added.
Yesterday’s events unfolded just before 9am when police refused to allow any individual from entering the official residence of the Tunku Besar Tampin.
However, police later agreed to allow the Undang of Jelebu, Johol, Rembau, Datuk Shahbandar Sungei Ujong Datuk Seri Utama Badarudin Abdul Khalid, Rais and a few more inside.
The ruling chiefs then went on to have a meeting of the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang which began at 9am and ended 50 minutes later.
Prior to this, state secretary Datuk Mohd Zafir Ibrahim had said any meeting of the DKU convened without the consent of the state Ruler was considered unconstitutional and invalid.
