KUALA PILAH: Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir has proclaimed his second son Tunku Zain Al-’Abidin as the holder of the hereditary title of Putera Yang Empat, Tunku Panglima Besar of Negeri Sembilan, with immediate effect.
The proclamation ceremony was held in the Balairong Seri, Istana Besar Seri Menanti, with Tunku Ampuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Aishah Rohani Tengku Besar Mahmud and Tunku Besar Seri Menanti Tunku Ali Redhauddin Tuanku Muhriz in attendance.
The title was previously held by Tunku Datuk Seri Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar, Bernama reported.
Also present were Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun and heads of state departments.
Meanwhile, Negri Sembilan Comptroller of Royal Household Datuk Azizi Mohamad Ali, in a statement, said His Royal Highness expressed confidence that Tunku Zain Al-’Abidin, in his capacity as Tunku Panglima Besar, will continue to play an important role in upholding the sovereignty of the Royal Institution of Negri Sembilan and safeguarding the interests of the people and the state.
Tunku Zain Al-’Abidin, 44, is a passionate advocate for constitutional restoration and institutional reform in Malaysia, striving to create a fairer nation where every Malaysian has the opportunity to thrive.
He has worked with the UK Parliament, the World Bank, and the United Nations, and is an Eisenhower Fellow.
He is especially dedicated to education and to developing the potential of young Malaysians. He also serves as Chancellor of UCSI University, Pro-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (Usim), and ICAN College president.
As a Trustee of the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation and Patron of the Negeri Sembilan Schools Arts and Culture Programme, Tunku Zain Al-’Abidin actively champions greater access to quality education, holistic learning, and the nurturing of well-rounded future leaders.
Tunku Zain Al-’Abidin is also the founding president of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas), a think tank that develops practical public policy solutions.
In the corporate world, Tunku Zain Al-’Abidin serves as chairman of Omesti Bhd, Excelerate Malaysia, and Enotech Pictures. He is also a Board Member of Deutsche Bank Malaysia, Prima Gading Corporation, Uni Enrol, and an advisor to the UCSI Group.
He also serves as a Trustee of several foundations, including Yayasan Chow Kit, Yayasan Munarah, Yayasan Ideas, Genovasi Foundation, and Tinggi Foundation, many of which support education, youth development, and community empowerment.
Since 2008, Tunku Zain Al-’Abidin has written a regular column with The Star and a few other newspapers, with several books compiled from his articles.
