PETALING JAYA: The proclamation of Datuk Azrin Khairi as the 17th Undang of Luak Jelebu at Istana Besar Seri Menanti is not valid and not recognised under the luak's ancient customary rules, says the Lembaga Adat Luak Jelebu.
The board's secretariat said in a statement on Wednesday (Oct 14) that the process leading to the proclamation did not follow the true principles and rules of adat.
It said Azrin was selected and appointed "without the involvement, reference or absolute consent of the majority" of the Datuk Lembaga who lawfully hold their titles by lineage and ancient custom.
The secretariat said any ceremony that bypassed the customary institution at luak level, the telapak waris, did not comply with Adat Perpatih or the guidelines for installing the Undang of Jelebu.
It said Jelebu's Datuk Lembaga had lodged a police report on Oct 12 to object to the ceremony being held.
The board said any earlier decision to set aside the existing Undang of Luak Jelebu remained subject to legal and customary disputes that had yet to be fully settled.
It urged members of the luak and the public not to be confused by the proclamation.
The board said it would keep defending genuine adat to protect the royal institution and the luak from interference that went against hereditary tradition.
Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir consented to proclaim Azrin, a senior general manager at Telekom Malaysia Pahang, as the 17th Undang in a ceremony at the palace in Kuala Pilah on Wednesday.
In his royal address, Tuanku Muhriz said adat could not be defended if its rules were breached.
The Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) declared the Jelebu post vacant on July 31. It had accepted the removal of Datuk Maarof Mat Rashad as the 16th Undang under the luak's customs, effective May 31, 2023.
Jelebu's Datuk Lembaga had claimed the DKU meeting was unlawful and maintained that Maarof remained the rightful Undang.
Azrin was earlier proclaimed Undang at a customary ceremony in Kampung Mengkan, Kuala Klawang, on Aug 28. A group of Datuk Lembaga also opposed that ceremony.
Maarof was among the four Undang who declared Tuanku Muhriz removed as Yang di-Pertuan Besar on April 19. The state government does not recognise the move.
