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Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (12-18 October, 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 02:00:50 GMT

What happened last week

12 October 2026, Mon: The Straits Times reported that the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, as chair of the Conference of Rulers meeting of 13 to 15 October, had invited Tuanku Muhriz, and that Tuanku Muhriz had said he would attend only the pre-council meeting on 13 October. The report said Tunku Nadzaruddin had not been invited, despite repeated requests made through various Rulers and the Menteri Besar, Datuk Ismail Lasim (The Straits Times, 12 October 2026, Malaysiakini, 12 October 2026).

12 October 2026, Mon: The Istana Besar Seri Menanti responded through the Comptroller of the Royal Household, Datuk Azizi Mohamad Ali. He said attendance at the Conference of Rulers did not require an invitation, and that Tuanku Muhriz would not attend, focusing instead on state affairs and in particular the installation of the new Undang of Luak Jelebu. The palace added that it had issued no earlier statement on the matter to any media organisation, and its statement made no reference to the report’s account of Tunku Nadzaruddin (Malay Mail, 12 October 2026, The Star, 12 October 2026).

13 October 2026, Tue: UMNO secretary-general Datuk Seri Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said UMNO had never been involved in or interfered with the dispute, and that it is the only party whose constitution explicitly calls on members to uphold the institution of the Malay Rulers (Malaysiakini, 13 October 2026).

14 October 2026, Wed: Dato’ Azrin Khairi was installed as the 17th Undang of Luak Jelebu, with the title Dato’ Mendika Menteri Akhirulzaman, at an Istiadat Menzahirkan Kejadian (the ceremony at which an Undang’s installation is formally made manifest before the Ruler) before Tuanku Muhriz at Istana Besar Seri Menanti. A group of Jelebu’s Lembaga disputes Ismail Mohd Zin’s authority to make that proclamation, and Malaysiakini reported that elders of the Luak had lodged a police report. In his titah (royal address), Tuanku Muhriz said Adat could not be defended by breaking its own rules, and that disputes over succession must be settled according to custom and law. The Menteri Besar did not attend (Utusan Malaysia, 29 August 2026, Bernama, 14 October 2026, Malay Mail, 14 October 2026, Sinar Harian, 14 October 2026, Malaysiakini, 16 October 2026).

14 October 2026, Wed: The Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal, Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad, issued a statement on behalf of the Malay Rulers urging outside parties not to interfere in or politicise the dispute, which it said should be resolved by the relevant authorities through legal and customary channels. The statement called for differences to be settled through consultation, consensus, Adat and the Constitution of Negeri Sembilan 1959, said the throne must not be exploited for political gain, and asked the public to avoid unverified information (Malay Mail, 14 October 2026, The Vibes, 14 October 2026).

15 October 2026, Thu: At Istana Besar Seri Menanti, Tuanku Muhriz conferred the Darjah Tertinggi Negeri Sembilan (DTNS, the state’s highest order) on three Undangs: Datuk Klana Petra Muhammad Faris Johari of Luak Sungei Ujong, Datuk Mendika Menteri Akhirulzaman Datuk Azrin Khairi of Luak Jelebu, and Datuk Sedia Raja Hassan Ab Hamid of Luak Rembau. Their consorts received the Darjah Mulia Negeri Sembilan (DMNS). The State Secretary’s Office said the DTNS is reserved for the four Undangs and the Tunku Besar Tampin, and the DMNS for their consorts (Bernama, 16 October 2026, Malay Mail, 16 October 2026).

15 October 2026, Thu: A joint statement issued in the name of the “Undang Yang Empat”¹ and the Tunku Besar Tampin, read the Malay Rulers’ statement of 14 October as supporting its position. The signatories said they welcomed any negotiation with Tuanku Muhriz over an orderly abdication, that the Menteri Besar and the State Executive Council are the authority in the state administration, and that the State Secretary and State Legal Adviser must carry out the State Executive Council decision of 15 September. They also read the Rulers’ warning to outside parties as directed at the federal government and its agencies (Sinar Harian, 15 October 2026, Malaysiakini, 16 October 2026).

16 October 2026, Fri: After Friday prayers at the Kampung Beting Mosque in Kuala Pilah, Tuanku Muhriz publicly rebuked the Menteri Besar, in an exchange recorded in videos that circulated on social media. In the footage, as reported by three outlets, Tuanku Muhriz said Ismail Lasim had written to the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal stating that Tuanku Muhriz was no longer Yang di-Pertuan Besar, and told him, “Until he retracts what he said earlier, go away.” Ismail responded with an angkat sembah (the customary gesture of obeisance to royalty) and did not speak in the footage. Hours later, Ismail posted on Facebook about that day’s Friday sermon on humility and the meaning of sujud (prostration), without addressing the exchange (Malay Mail, 16 October 2026, Malaysiakini, 16 October 2026, Malaysiakini, 16 October 2026, Utusan Malaysia, 16 October 2026).

18 October 2026, Sun: The Vibes reported that a series of suspicious Threads posts after the Kampung Beting exchange came from accounts with few or no followers, which published similar messages within a short period. The posts described Tuanku Muhriz as “overly emotional”, presented the Menteri Besar as calm, and several referred to Tuanku Muhriz as the “former YDPB”. The report said it could not be established whether the accounts were automated or linked to UMNO (The Vibes, 18 October 2026).

18 October 2026, Sun: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) opened an investigation under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 into content posted on Threads that is suspected of insulting the Negeri Sembilan royal institution and concerns the position of Tuanku Muhriz as Yang di-Pertuan Besar. It recorded a statement from an individual at the Labu police station and seized a mobile phone and an eSIM for forensic analysis. The MCMC said it was also examining how the content had spread across social media platforms (Bernama, 18 October 2026, Malay Mail, 18 October 2026, The Star, 18 October 2026, FMT, 18 October 2026).

Commentary worth reading

Negeri Sembilan’s Muhriz invited to Malaysia’s rulers council, in latest twist to throne tussle: The Straits Times’ report is worth a read for its strong wording, particularly on motive, where it goes further than the local press has in their own reporting.

It said Tunku Nadzaruddin “has been snubbed by Sultan Nazrin”, described him as leading a “rebellion” and as having “aligned himself to the rebel chieftains and UMNO”, and said UMNO had reclaimed the state “after forcing snap polls held in August”.

It said Tuanku Muhriz “has held a public stance against corruption and abuse of power, in particular the appointment of judges, that has made him some powerful enemies amongst Malaysia’s elite”, including “UMNO leaders who are spearheading the move to pardon former prime minister Najib Razak” (The Straits Times, 12 October 2026)

The labels for the signatories have also shifted in local reporting this week. Malaysiakini’s Malay-language report of the 15 October statement first ran under a headline describing them as Undang yang ‘derhaka’, later retitled with dipertikaikan (disputed) in its place. Its URL still carries the word ‘derhaka’, and its English report describes them as “rebel chieftains”.

The headline marks a departure from local reporting in general, which has continued to use “Undang Yang Empat” for the four signatories of the removal proclamation, although only one of them, the Undang of Luak Johol, holds office.

Adhering To Negeri Sembilan Constitutional Procedures And Article X: The President of the Malaysian Bar, Anand Raj, said the 19 April proclamation did not comply with the Constitution. Article 10(1) requires a full and complete enquiry by the Undangs, which he said must follow the principles of natural justice, and he said no record shows that such an enquiry took place or that Tuanku Muhriz was given a chance to respond. Citing the Privy Council decision in B Surinder Singh Kanda v Government of the Federation of Malaya (1962), he said the right to be heard extends to the head of state. The Bar also asked for clarification of the Menteri Besar’s differing statements on the proclamation, and said the revocation of the State Executive Council appointments and the suspension of the State Secretary and State Legal Adviser, who are federal officers, called for explanation (Business Today, 16 October 2026).

What we are watching for

19 October 2026: The Court of Appeal holds case management in the appeal by Mubarak and five others against the High Court’s grant of leave for contempt proceedings over an alleged breach of the 5 June injunction. That injunction was granted by the Seremban High Court in Originating Summons NA-24NCvC-240-05/2026, the suit the six filed on 5 May against the DKU Secretary, Raja Norazli Raja Nordin, the DKU and the State Government. It restrains the six from convening or attending any meeting styled as a DKU sitting, from interfering with the Secretary, and from altering the DKU’s administration as it stood before 21 May (Malay Mail, 7 September 2026).

27 October 2026: Rais Yatim’s sedition case returns for mention at the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court, where he has pleaded not guilty (Malay Mail, 25 September 2026).

17 November 2026, Tue: The Seremban High Court, before Justice Roz Mawar Rozain, is listed to hear Originating Summons NA-24NCvC-240-05/2026 together with a number applications in the suit, according to the court’s eFiling records (eFiling System, Kehakiman Malaysia).

Separately, court documents seen by this publication this week show a new application for leave to begin contempt proceedings in the same suit. It adds 11 proposed contemnors to the six plaintiffs named in earlier proceedings: the Menteri Besar and the ten former members of the State Executive Council. This follows a letter of 16 September from the DKU’s lawyers to the Menteri Besar and the ten, which said their announcement on the Ruler breached the 5 June injunction and that contempt proceedings would follow (The Edge Malaysia, 17 September 2026).

26 November 2026, Thu: The State Legislative Assembly is due to be opened by the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, with the 2027 budget tabled on 27 November (The Star, 8 October 2026).

Whether the Menteri Besar withdraws the statement on Tuanku Muhriz’s status and whether he puts forward names for a new State Executive Council.

When the Seremban High Court sets a first hearing date for the former State Executive Council members’ originating summons.

New posts written by this publication last week

UPDATED: What Is the Negeri Sembilan Royal Crisis? An overview for new readers, covering the key players and events, the constitutional framework, the political track and the court cases. It complements the detailed timeline, the Start Here page, which organises every article by theme, the Reference Library, which explains the key Articles of the Constitution, and the Court Documents and Media Statements section, which holds unofficial English translations of key documents.

Sources:

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Anak Nogori is independent commentary on the unfolding constitutional crisis in Negeri Sembilan, where centuries-old Adat Perpatih, royal succession law, and modern political manoeuvring are colliding in ways Malaysia has never seen before. If you find this useful, share it with someone who should be following this, or subscribe to receive the latest articles in your inbox.

Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (5-11 October, 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 02:01:03 GMT

What happened last week

5 October 2026, Mon: The five signatories issued an 11-page reply to the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) statement of 4 October. They said the DKU’s statement was self-contradictory, unsupported by evidence or by any provision of law. They argued that Article 10 calls for an enquiry by the Undangs themselves, and that the DKU sitting of 31 July was invalid because, in their view, it lacked a quorum. The statement also said the proviso to Article 10(2) refers to “the Menteri Besar” as an office, so that Ismail Lasim’s signature on 3 August completed the proclamation Aminuddin Harun had declined to sign on 20 April (Malaysiakini, 5 October 2026, The Star, 5 October 2026, Malay Mail, 5 October 2026). These claims are the signatories’ own.

5 October 2026, Mon: Former UMNO information chief Shahril Hamdan, speaking on the Keluar Sekejap (Stepping Out for a Moment) podcast, questioned whether a proclamation dated 19 April could be valid when the Menteri Besar signed it months later, likening the process to backdating. He said he was unsure of the legal position, and suggested that anyone seeking a removal should start a fresh process (Free Malaysia Today, 5 October 2026).

6 October 2026, Tues: Lawyers for the five signatories replied that the office of Menteri Besar is a continuing institution, separate from the person who holds it. Constitutional powers and duties attach to the office, they said, so whoever lawfully holds it may sign official documents on its behalf, and the Menteri Besar’s signature formed part of completing the removal. The Attorney General’s Chambers and the DKU have both said the 16 September EXCO statement endorsing the proclamation has no legal effect (Free Malaysia Today, 6 October 2026). The withdrawal was explained on the basis that the application had become academic, since the Menteri Besar has acknowledged signing the proclamation on 3 August (Kosmo, 7 October 2026).

7 October 2026, Wed: Mubarak, Maarof, Abdul Rahim and Muhammed Abdullah withdrew their application for leave for judicial review at the Kuala Lumpur High Court. The application, filed on 17 July, had sought an order compelling the Menteri Besar to sign their proclamation within seven days (Malay Mail, 10 August 2026).

At case management before Judge Norliza Othman, their counsel, Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz, said he had been instructed not to proceed. The court ordered that the same application may not be filed again, and ordered the four to pay RM10,000 in costs to each of the four proposed interveners, the DKU, its secretary, and the Undangs of Luak Sungei Ujong and Luak Rembau, Muhammad Faris Johari and Hassan Ab Hamid, making RM40,000 in total. The Attorney General’s Chambers, for the Menteri Besar and the state government, agreed to the withdrawal (Malay Mail, 7 October 2026, Free Malaysia Today, 7 October 2026).

Steven Thiru, for the DKU and its secretary, said the four had not disclosed the pending Seremban proceedings when they filed in Kuala Lumpur on 17 July, and called it “a clear case of forum shopping, as well as suppression of material facts” (Malay Mail, 7 October 2026). No court has ruled on the validity of the 19 April declaration.

7 October 2026, Wed: The ten former EXCO members announced that they had filed an originating summons at the Seremban High Court on 5 October. The defendants are the State Secretary, Mohd Zafir Ibrahim, and the State Government; the Yang di-Pertuan Besar is not named.

The ten ask the court to declare whether the gazette of 24 September is valid and effective, arguing that a revocation under Article 38(5), read with Articles 40(1), 40(1A) and 40(2), requires the Menteri Besar’s advice. They also seek general, exemplary and aggravated damages and an expedited hearing.

The summons is supported by an affidavit from each of the ten and a further affidavit from Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim (Malay Mail, 7 October 2026, Malaysiakini, 7 October 2026).

Attorney General Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar said on 26 September that the revocation was valid under Article 38(5), under which EXCO members other than the Menteri Besar hold office at the pleasure of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar (Free Malaysia Today, 26 September 2026).

On 22 September the Attorney General’s Chambers said the EXCO had no power to suspend the State Secretary, now the first defendant (Malay Mail, 23 September 2026).

8 October 2026, Thurs: Ismail Lasim said the State Legislative Assembly, earlier scheduled to open on 16 October, would open on 26 November, with the 2027 state budget tabled the following day and debated over four days from 30 November. He said the budget could be tabled without an EXCO endorsement, that department heads would keep their portfolios running, and that new EXCO members would be appointed “in due course”, adding that “the exco can wait for now” (The Star, 8 October 2026, Malaysiakini, 8 October 2026).

He said the sitting would be opened by the Yang di-Pertuan Besar without naming him, and when asked who would open it, replied: “We will cross the bridge when we get there.” He also said his relationship with State Secretary Mohd Zafir Ibrahim remained good, and on the former EXCO members’ suit, in which Mohd Zafir is the first defendant and Ismail has filed a supporting affidavit, said the court was the best avenue to interpret the law (The Star, 9 October 2026).

The same day he handed appointment letters to 407 village development and security committee chairmen and secretaries. Article 38(2) gives the Menteri Besar the role of advising on the appointment of EXCO members, and the Yang di-Pertuan Besar asked him for a new list on 20 September. No list has been reported.

10 October 2026, Sat: Free Malaysia Today reported that Ismail Lasim might face a no-confidence motion, tabled by Jalaluddin Alias, subject to approval from the party’s central leadership (Free Malaysia Today, 10 October 2026). The same day, Jalaluddin Alias, chairman of the UMNO Negeri Sembilan liaison body, denied that the party planned to table such a motion or that he would propose it (Free Malaysia Today, 10 October 2026, Utusan Malaysia, 10 October 2026). Under Article 38(4), a Menteri Besar who ceases to command the confidence of a majority of the Assembly must tender the resignation of the EXCO unless, at his request, the Ruler dissolves the Assembly. The Speaker said on 14 September that no motion had been received (Malay Mail, 14 September 2026).

Commentary worth reading

This has gone on long enough – It is time for the law to act: Vinod Sekhar, publisher of The Vibes, argued that the dispute had gone on long enough and that the authorities should investigate and, if the evidence supports it, charge those responsible. He set out section 121B of the Penal Code and section 4 of the Sedition Act 1948 as the provisions in question, and stated that he was not declaring anyone guilty.

The column sets the attempt to remove Tuanku Muhriz against his recent public remarks. In January, Tuanku Muhriz described corruption as the enemy of justice, trust and the nation’s future, and expressed disbelief that Malaysians could continue to support people convicted of serious corruption offences. In April he reminded office-holders in Negeri Sembilan that their decisions must rest on facts, established rules and law, and not on personal desire. “Those are not the words of a ceremonial Ruler content merely to cut ribbons,” Vinod writes, before turning to the attempt to remove him.

Vinod asks who benefits from removing a Ruler who has become more vocal against corruption, why it became so urgent, and what political, personal or financial interests lie behind it. He also notes that the Ruler of Negeri Sembilan is expected to be in line for election as Yang di-Pertuan Agong under the rotation in about seven years (The Vibes, 5 October 2026).

What we are watching for

14 to 15 October 2026, Wed to Thurs: The Conference of Rulers holds its 273rd meeting, preceded by a pre-council meeting on 13 October, according to the Conference’s published calendar (Majlis Raja-Raja, October 2026). The Conference’s website still lists Tuanku Muhriz ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir, Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, among the Rulers who sit on the Conference (Majlis Raja-Raja).

19 October 2026, Mon: The Court of Appeal holds case management in the appeal by Mubarak and five others against the High Court’s grant of leave to the DKU and its secretary to begin contempt proceedings over an alleged breach of the 5 June injunction (Malay Mail, 7 September 2026).

27 October 2026, Tues: Rais Yatim’s case under section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 returns for mention at the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court, where he has pleaded not guilty (Malay Mail, 25 September 2026).

26 November 2026, Thurs: The State Legislative Assembly is due to open, with the 2027 budget tabled on 27 November. The sitting had earlier been scheduled to open on 16 October (The Star, 8 October 2026, Utusan Malaysia, 10 October 2026).

Whether the police and the Attorney General’s Chambers act on the DKU’s 4 October request to investigate the signatories of the 30 September letters for possible offences under the Penal Code.

When the Seremban High Court fixes a first date in the former EXCO members’ originating summons.

New posts written by this publication last week

Joint “Undang Yang Empat” and Tunku Besar Tampin Media Statement, 5 October 2026 - A full English translation of the 11 page media statement released by the “Undang Yang Empat” and the Tunku Besar Tampin.

Sources:

About Weekly Round-Ups

Weekly Round-Ups are published every Monday morning. Each round-up covers what happened the previous week, what we are watching for in the week ahead, and links to posts published that week.

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Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (28 September-4 October, 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 02:00:41 GMT

What happened last week

28 September 2026, Mon: The ten former State Executive Council (EXCO) members whose appointments Tuanku Muhriz revoked on 20 September gave statements to Bukit Aman police, who are investigating on the basis of several police reports (Malay Mail, 28 September 2026).

Mohd Asna Amin, the assemblyman for Lenggeng, said he answered more than 60 questions in about half an hour, while Mohd Fairuz Mohd Isa, the assemblyman for Serting, said his session took about two hours (Utusan Malaysia, 28 September 2026).

The State Secretary’s office instructed the ten to return their official cars (Bernama, 28 September 2026).

29 September 2026, Tues: Ismail Lasim had a three-hour audience with Tuanku Muhriz, attended by the Undangs of Luak Sungei Ujong and Luak Rembau and the state police chief (Malay Mail, 29 September 2026). Bernama reported that his car left by the back gate (Bernama, 29 September 2026). Neither side has said what was discussed.

30 September 2026, Wed: Aminuddin Harun, PKR Negeri Sembilan chairman and former Menteri Besar, called for a quick end to the impasse, warning that stalled land approvals and vacant EXCO posts could weaken investor confidence (Malay Mail, 30 September 2026).

30 September 2026, Wed: UMNO Negeri Sembilan information chief Muhammad Sufian Maradzi replied that the crisis began at the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) sitting of 17 April, which acknowledged the removal of ex-Undang Mubarak Dohak, and asked why its minutes were never produced (Malaysiakini, 30 September 2026, The Star, 30 September 2026).

Aminuddin responded, stating that the minutes have not been confirmed and are classified and can be released only by the DKU. Access to its minutes is the subject of an originating summons that Mubarak and five others filed at the Seremban High Court on 5 May, and that case is still before the court (Malaysiakini, 30 September 2026, Free Malaysia Today, 5 May 2026)

2 October 2026, Fri: The Undang of Luak Johol, the removed Undangs Maarof Mat Rashad and Abdul Rahim Yasin, Mubarak and the Tunku Besar Tampin issued yet another statement; this time, a 12-page statement justifying the 19 April declaration. It alleges that Tuanku Muhriz interfered in Luak affairs in breach of an 1898 treaty, and urges the State Secretary and civil servants to recognise his removal (Malaysiakini, 2 October 2026, Free Malaysia Today, 2 October 2026). Read a full English translation of the “Undang” statement. Our X account has also posted a response, highlighting inaccuracies in their statement.

3 October 2026, Sat: A letter dated 30 September, in Tunku Nadzaruddin’s name and with the same five signatures, circulated asking the Chief Secretary to the Government to withdraw State Secretary Mohd Zafir Ibrahim’s posting. It objects to the 24 September gazette revoking the EXCO, and asks that federal officers process no instrument in the Ruler’s name without the signatories’ authentication (The Vibes, 3 October 2026).

4 October 2026, Sun: In a 17-page official statement, the DKU said Tuanku Muhriz remains Yang di-Pertuan Besar and that no “full and complete enquiry” under Article 10 ever took place. It rejected the 2 October claims of interference in Luak affairs, and restated the official position of each Undang office: Mubarak and Maarof have been removed, and Abdul Rahim Yasin’s appointment was never completed. The DKU described the 30 September letters as derhaka (treason against the Ruler) that may give rise to an offence under the Penal Code, and asked the police and the Attorney General’s Chambers to investigate. Read a full English translation of the DKU statement.

Commentary worth reading

Pemerintah N Sembilan bertindak dalam bidang kuasa batal lantikan exco, kata bekas hakim, Hishamudin Yunus: A former judge told Free Malaysia Today that Tuanku Muhriz acted within his powers in revoking the ten EXCO appointments, a view that aligns with the Attorney General’s of 26 September (Free Malaysia Today, 1 October 2026).

Prolonged Negeri crisis could potentially crack monarchical institution, Murray Hunter: Murray Hunter reads the crisis as a test of the moral line Tuanku Muhriz drew in his January speech, that tolerance of corruption and disregard for the rule of law corrode a just society. He argues that every month without mediation or an authoritative ruling widens the cracks in the monarchy, and that institutions which stay silent will be judged alongside the claimants and politicians (The Vibes, 2 October 2026).

Malaysian State’s Royal Crisis Complicates UMNO’s Comeback: Bloomberg looks at how the crisis complicates UMNO’s electoral comeback. “UMNO underestimated the intensity of the crisis, and its actions since August have both escalated the crisis and put the party in the spotlight for blame” (Bloomberg, 2 October 2026).

Has BN the moral authority to govern Negeri Sembilan? Senior journalist Minderjeet Kaur at Free Malaysia Today opinion piece asks whether BN has the moral authority to govern Negeri Sembilan. “The reality is stark. BN, despite its numbers, has no clear path to government and stability. In any case, Negeri Sembilan’s people deserve better” (Free Malaysia Today, 3 October 2026).

What we are watching for

7 October 2026: Judicial review WA-25-201-07/2026 returns before Judge Norliza Othman.

19 October 2026: The Court of Appeal hears the appeal by Mubarak and five others against leave for contempt proceedings.

27 October 2026: Rais Yatim’s sedition case returns for mention.

Whether the police and the Attorney General’s Chambers act on the DKU’s 4 October request to investigate the signatories of the 30 September letters for possible offences under the Penal Code.

New posts written by this publication last week

Updated: What is Article 22 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959? - Article 22 states that minutes shall be kept at all DKU meetings, and each meeting shall confirm the minutes of the last preceding meeting. Our article has been updated to updated to point out inaccuracies in UMNO's 30 September statement on the 17 April minutes.

Joint “Undang Yang Empat” and Tunku Besar Tampin Media Statement, 2 October 2026. A full English translation of the 12 page media statement released by the “Undang Yang Empat” and the Tunku Besar Tampin.

DKU Official Statement, 4 October 2026 - a full English translation of the 17 page document.

Sources:

About Weekly Round-Ups

Weekly Round-Ups are published every Monday morning. Each round-up covers what happened the previous week, what we are watching for in the week ahead, and links to posts published that week.

How to manage your subscription

When you subscribe to this Substack, you are subscribed to both formats by default: regular posts and Weekly Round-Ups.

To receive only the Weekly Round-Ups:

From any email: scroll to the bottom and click Unsubscribe or Manage subscription. You will see the option to opt out of regular posts while keeping the Weekly Round-Up.
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If you are new to this Substack and are not sure where to begin, visit our Start Here page, where we list all our articles organised by theme.

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Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (14-20 September, 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 02:01:15 GMT

What happened last week

14 Sep 2026, Monday: The Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) issued a statement following a special sitting on 13 September. It said Tuanku Muhriz remains the Yang di-Pertuan Besar and that no vacancy exists, restated its 31 July position that three of the four signatories of the 19 April proclamation did not hold the office of Undang on that date, and said that no enquiry under Article 10(1) had taken place and that Tuanku Muhriz was given neither notice nor an opportunity to be heard (Malay Mail, 14 September 2026). The DKU described the signing of the 5 September document by six individuals, among them the removed Undang Mubarak Dohak, as derhaka (treason) under Adat and law, and instructed its secretary, Raja Norazli Raja Nordin, to lodge a police report. It also questioned the need for the state government’s proposed Jawatankuasa Pendamai (reconciliation committee), on the ground that questions of Adat fall within Article 16, and said it would seek clarification of the committee’s terms of reference (The Star, 14 September 2026).

On the same day, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmed that police had opened an investigation paper into Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim’s claim that he signed the Surat Cara Proklamasi (Instrument of Proclamation) unwillingly and under duress (Malay Mail, 14 September 2026). State Assembly Speaker Awaludin Said said no motion of no confidence against Ismail had been filed for the next sitting, which Tuanku Muhriz is scheduled to open on 16 October, and that matters treated as unlawful under state law should first be settled by the authorities, including the DKU, before reaching the House (Malay Mail, 14 September 2026). The Court of Appeal’s e-review to fix a date for its decision on staying the committal proceedings was also listed for this day; no report of the date fixed had appeared at the time of writing.

15 Sep 2026, Tuesday: After State Executive Council Meeting No. 6 of 2026, Ismail issued a statement, which said the Menteri Besar has no unilateral power to remove the Yang di-Pertuan Besar or declare the office vacant, that “a proclamation does not, by itself, create constitutional authority”, and that a matter of this weight should be settled through constitutional and legal processes, including judicial determination (The Edge Malaysia, 15 September 2026).

16 Sep 2026, Wednesday: A statement issued by members of the executive council said the council, chaired by Ismail, had decided the previous day that the 19 April proclamation was valid, that it had been completed under Article 10(2) when Ismail signed it on 3 August, and that Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar had been recognised as Yang di-Pertuan Besar with immediate effect (FMT, 16 September 2026). Every council member except PAS’s Serting assemblyman Fairuz Isa had republished the statement (FMT, 17 September 2026). Lawyer Rosli Dahlan asked who had authorised a council statement signed off only as the line-up of council members (FMT, 16 September 2026).

The Undang of Luak Rembau, Hassan Ab Hamid, replied the same day that an executive council decision cannot set aside DKU advice on Adat, citing Article 16(3), and that the question is whether the power to remove a Ruler was exercised in compliance with Article 10 (FMT, 16 September 2026).

That night, the law firm Halim & Ismail, acting for the DKU and Raja Norazli as defendants in the Seremban originating summons, wrote to Ismail, the members of the council, the State Secretary and the State Legal Adviser. The letter described the announcement as tantamount to a coup and an act of treason, said it breached the interim injunction of 5 June, and stated that its clients intended to begin contempt proceedings (The Star, 17 September 2026, Malay Mail, 17 September 2026).

17 Sep 2026, Thursday: Ismail told reporters in Seremban that the council had discussed and unanimously decided on the proclamation at its 15 September meeting, and that the State Secretary had been instructed to proceed with gazetting it. He took no questions (The Star, 17 September 2026, FMT, 17 September 2026). The DKU said the council’s decision lay outside the council’s jurisdiction and had no legal effect, and that the council could not cure the defects the DKU had identified in the April proclamation (FMT, 17 September 2026). Former Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun, who declined to sign the proclamation in April, said he did not recognise the 16 September announcement and called for action against the council members involved (FMT, 17 September 2026). DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke called on council members who no longer recognise Tuanku Muhriz to resign (Malay Mail, 17 September 2026), and Palong assemblyman Mustapha Nagoor, a council member, rejected the call (FMT, 17 September 2026).

That evening, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) issued a statement which said the 19 April proclamation was invalid because it failed the mandatory requirements of Article 10, that there was no evidence any Article 10(1) ground applied to Tuanku Muhriz, that neither the Menteri Besar nor the council had unilateral power over the office, and that any gazettement would be unconstitutional. It noted that the Seremban High Court’s interlocutory injunction remained in force, and cited Article 16(3) on the finality of DKU advice (Bernama, 17 September 2026, FMT, 17 September 2026).

Late that night, the office of the State Secretary, Mohd Zafir Ibrahim, said it accepted the AGC’s advice, would take no action to gazette or implement the proclamation, and had referred the matter to the State Legal Adviser (Bernama, 17 September 2026).

Tuanku Muhriz returned from abroad the same night and was met at KLIA Terminal 1 by about 200 supporters, who were reported shouting “Daulat Tuanku” (long live the Ruler) and “tangkap penderhaka” (arrest the traitors) (FMT, 17 September 2026).

A letter was issued in the name of Tunku Nadzaruddin that purported to terminate Raja Norazli’s appointment as DKU secretary from 17 September, citing Article 25 (Malaysiakini, 17 September 2026). Article 25 provides that the secretary holds office at His Highness’s pleasure, and the DKU, the AGC and the State Secretary each proceed on the basis that Tuanku Muhriz remains His Highness.

18 Sep 2026, Friday: A secretariat speaking for the signatories, which describes itself as representing the Undang Yang Empat and the Tunku Besar of Tampin, said the AGC had no right to interfere in the state’s internal affairs, maintained that the removal had followed the prescribed procedure including an investigation, and called on the State Secretary to resign or face disciplinary action for declining the instruction of the government of the day (Malaysiakini, 18 September 2026). Utusan Malaysia reported the secretariat as citing a preliminary inquiry on 5 March and a further inquiry on 19 April, and as saying that gazetting is not a condition of a proclamation’s validity (Utusan Malaysia, 19 September 2026).

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged the Menteri Besar not to be swayed by political pressure and said that any proposal from the Undangs or others must follow the proper procedures in full, beyond which the federal government would not interfere (The Star, 18 September 2026, Bernama, 18 September 2026).

After Friday prayers at Masjid Diraja Tuanku Munawir, Seri Menanti, Tuanku Muhriz received a memorandum of loyalty from a supporters’ secretariat, presented by Mohd Aluwi Sari. State Secretary Mohd Zafir Ibrahim, approached by reporters after the same prayers, declined to comment (Utusan Malaysia, 18 September 2026).

19 Sep 2026, Saturday: Emirul Sarifudin Nor Azmi, lawyer for Tunku Nadzaruddin, the four signatories and the Tunku Besar of Tampin, said the AGC’s view was an opinion rather than a binding order, and urged the executive council to press the Chief Secretary to the Government to begin disciplinary proceedings against the State Secretary for declining to gazette (FMT, 19 September 2026, Kosmo, 19 September 2026). The allegation of misconduct is Emirul’s, and the State Secretary has not responded to it publicly.

19 Sep 2026, Saturday: Former Menteri Besar Rais Yatim told Berita Harian that the AGC had no jurisdiction or mandate to intervene and that its view was no valid reference for the state administration. He cited Article 71 of the Federal Constitution as barring federal involvement in questions of succession, said the AGC’s statement risked appearing partisan, and described the AGC as lebih sudu daripada kuah (the spoon larger than the gravy, said of one who oversteps his place). He also said the State Secretary could not refuse an executive council decision to gazette and had acted without consulting the council, and that the AGC had misread the Adat preserved in the state Constitution (Berita Harian, 19 September 2026).

20 Sep 2026, Sunday: Istana Besar Seri Menanti issued a statement stating that Tuanku Muhriz had revoked the appointments of the members of the State Executive Council with immediate effect, for breaching their oath of office through their actions and statements of 15 September. The statement cited Article 38(5) of the Constitution, under which a member of the council other than the Menteri Besar holds office at the Ruler’s pleasure. It said the members had taken and signed their oath and pledge of allegiance before Tuanku Muhriz on 7 August, pledging loyalty to the Ruler and the royal institution, undertaking to preserve the state Constitution and acknowledging the authority of the DKU. Each affected member was informed in writing. The Menteri Besar, whose own appointment is unaffected, has been directed to submit a list of candidates for a new council under Article 38(2) and to ensure the administration continues without disruption (Malay Mail, 21 September 2026).

Read: What is Article 38 of the Negeri Sembilan Consitution 1959?

Commentary worth reading

17 September 2026, Negeri Sembilan: The constitution must prevail — Syed Hamid Albar: Syed Hamid Albar, a former law minister and foreign minister, argues in Malay Mail that the dispute should be decided by the words, structure and purpose of the state Constitution, and that where a genuine legal dispute exists the courts may have to settle it. He treats the Menteri Besar’s duress claim and the DKU’s position with equal legal caution, and his central point is that a document cannot create a constitutional power that does not otherwise exist. Readers should note that the piece was published on the morning the Menteri Besar confirmed the council’s decision, and it quotes approvingly the 15 September statement from which the Menteri Besar moved two days later (Malay Mail, 17 September 2026).

20 September 2026, COMMENT | Can N Sembilan throne change hands by announcement?: Lawyer GK Ganesan asks whether a throne can change hands by announcement and answers from the text. Article 10 lets the Undangs call upon the Ruler to withdraw or abdicate, on stated grounds and after a full and complete enquiry, and Article 11 fills a vacancy only once one has lawfully opened. He sets the Article 29 requirement that the Undangs act by at least three of their number against the dispute over whether each signatory held office, and he recalls the Federal Court’s 1980 decision in Othman Baginda, in which the court declined to rule on the appointment of an Undang of Jelebu two years before the ouster clause in Article 16(3) was added. The column first appeared on the author’s own site (GKG Legal, 16 September 2026, Malaysiakini, 20 September 2026).

20 September 2026, Calls grow for arrest of Nadzaruddin, Exco, for treason: The Vibes pulls together the week’s public scenes, from the crowd of about 200 at KLIA to more than 500 at Friday prayers in Seri Menanti, some wearing shirts reading Waghih-waghih Nogori sayang Tuanku Muhriz (the heirs of Negeri Sembilan love Tuanku Muhriz). It sets them beside the calls for arrests made by Aminuddin Harun and by the DKU’s lawyers (The Vibes, 20 September 2026).

20 September 2026, Was deposing a ruler part of your manifesto, Anwar asks Umno - Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the full weight of the government machinery would be deployed to defend constitutional monarchy. He said any dispute over the institution should be resolved under the state Constitution and the law rather than through the media or political parties, and that “it is not political parties that determine who becomes the ruler”. He asked by what right a state executive council could meet to depose a ruler, and whether that had appeared in any election manifesto (FMT, 20 September 2026).

What we are watching for

28 September 2026: Case management before the Seremban High Court in the contempt proceedings, in which the DKU and its secretary are seeking to have six individuals cited for contempt over the alleged breach of the interim injunction of 5 June. Justice Roz Mawar Rozain adjourned the matter to this date to receive updates on the parties’ legal challenges (FMT, 28 July 2026).

7 October 2026: The parties return to the Kuala Lumpur High Court to tell Justice Norliza Othman whether the judicial review brought by Mubarak and the three Undangs will continue in Kuala Lumpur or move to Seremban. The applications by the DKU, its secretary and two Undangs to intervene remain pending (Malay Mail, 10 August 2026). The application seeks mandamus to compel the Menteri Besar to sign the proclamation; the applicants now say he signed it on 3 August.

16 October 2026: Opening of the State Legislative Assembly’s five-day sitting, which Tuanku Muhriz is scheduled to officiate (Malay Mail, 14 September 2026).

19 October 2026: Case management at the Court of Appeal in the six’s appeal against the Seremban High Court’s grant of leave to the DKU and Raja Norazli to commence committal proceedings (Malay Mail, 7 September 2026).

Whether the police make any statement concerning the Menteri Besar’s report of 8 September.
Whether the Menteri Besar identifies those he says applied pressure on him to sign the 3 August proclamation.
Whether the DKU and its secretary, Raja Norazli Raja Nordin, file contempt proceedings against the members of the executive council.

New posts written by this publication last week

Was It Derhaka? Six Moments in the Negeri Sembilan Crisis
Updated: Did the Menteri Besar Sign the Proclamation Against Tuanku Muhriz on 3 August?, now covering the Menteri Besar’s statement of 15 September and the events of 16 and 17 September.

Sources:

About Weekly Round-Ups

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Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (7-13 September, 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 02:01:04 GMT

What happened last week

7 September 2026, Monday: The Court of Appeal reserved its decision on the application by Mubarak Dohak, the removed Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong, and five others to stay the committal proceedings against them in the Seremban High Court pending their appeal. A three-judge bench chaired by Justice Alwi Abdul Wahab, sitting with Justices Shahnaz Sulaiman and Amarjeet Singh, fixed 14 September for case management by e-review to set a decision date, and extended the ad interim (temporary, pending a fuller hearing) stay granted on 29 July until the decision is delivered.

Counsel for the six, Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud, argued that the appeal would be rendered pointless without a stay. He submitted that the Court of Appeal should first determine whether jurisdiction lies with the High Court or the Special Court. The argument relies on Articles 182 and 183 of the Federal Constitution, which govern proceedings against a Ruler in the Special Court, together with Article 160(2), which defines the Ruler in relation to Negeri Sembilan as the Yang di-Pertuan Besar acting on behalf of himself and the Ruling Chiefs.

Steven Thiru, for the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) and its secretary Raja Norazli Raja Nordin, urged the court to let the committal proceedings continue, on the settled principle that contempt proceedings take priority once commenced, and submitted that case law has established that the term ‘Ruler’ in Negeri Sembilan excludes the Undangs (The Edge Malaysia, 7 September 2026, Malay Mail, 7 September 2026, The Star, 7 September 2026, FMT, 7 September 2026).

8 September 2026, Tuesday: The Straits Times reported, citing legal and government sources, that Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim had privately claimed he was coerced into signing the 3 August document under severe political pressure, that he alleged UMNO’s central leadership had orchestrated the signing alongside the four chieftains who signed the 19 April declaration, and that he was preparing to lodge a police report that day. The same report noted that Ismail swore in his state executive council before Tuanku Muhriz on 7 August, four days after the purported signing (The Straits Times, 8 September 2026). Ismail lodged a police report at about 6pm.

The same day, the fifth State Executive Council meeting of 2026 discussed the establishment of a Jawatankuasa Pendamai (reconciliation committee) as a forum for resolving the customary dispute (Malay Mail, 9 September 2026).

Late that evening, the signatories of the 19 April declaration held a press conference at which they displayed the surat cara proklamasi (instrument of proclamation) dated 3 August, bearing Ismail’s signature. FMT reported the press conference as led by the Undang of Luak Johol, Muhammed Abdullah (FMT, 9 September 2026). In a separate statement responding to The Straits Times, Ismail denied that UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was involved in any attempt to remove Tuanku Muhriz, without at that stage addressing whether he had signed the document (Malay Mail, 9 September 2026).

9 September 2026, Wednesday: Ismail confirmed in a written statement that he had signed the instrument, but said he did so tanpa rela hati dan secara paksaan (unwillingly and under duress). He said the state government regarded the instrument as invalid, unconstitutional and unenforceable because it had failed to comply with the process and procedure required by Article 10 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959. He also cited Article 71 of the Federal Constitution, under which the Federation guarantees the rights and position of a state Ruler, and reaffirmed his loyalty to Tuanku Muhriz as the sole legitimate Yang di-Pertuan Besar (Malay Mail, 9 September 2026). His statement did not identify who had allegedly applied the pressure or explain why he attended the 3 August gathering or filed the police report five weeks later (Malaysiakini, 9 September 2026).

On the sidelines of the UMNO general assembly, party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and information chief Azalina Othman Said each denied being present at the 3 August gathering. Zahid also denied reports that Ismail had resigned as Menteri Besar and said the lawyers who were present at the signing were best placed to establish whether any duress had occurred (Malay Mail, 9 September 2026, Malay Mail, 9 September 2026). When asked who had forced Ismail to sign, Zahid said those were the Menteri Besar’s own words and added that UMNO should keep its hands clean of the Negeri Sembilan situation (Malaysiakini, 10 September 2026).

The two Undangs whose installations the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) has acknowledged also issued statements that day. The Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong, Muhammad Faris Johari Meor Ngah, said the DKU sitting of 31 July at Istana Besar Seri Menanti had concluded that the 19 April declaration had no legal effect, that the 3 August instrument signed in Port Dickson was invalid and unenforceable, and that three of its four signatories had lost their pesaka (customary office) under adat and therefore lacked authority as Ruling Chiefs (Utusan Malaysia, 9 September 2026).

The Undang of Luak Rembau, Hassan Ab Hamid, argued that the Menteri Besar’s signature could not cure defects in the process preceding the proclamation. He raised three questions: whether a full inquiry under Article 10(1) had been held, whether Tuanku Muhriz had been given an opportunity to be heard, and whether those who signed the instrument had lawful authority to do so. Hassan also maintained that Abdul Rahim Yasin had never been proclaimed the 22nd Undang of Rembau and pointed to his own proclamation on 27 June (Malay Mail, 9 September 2026).

DAP vice-chairman Syahredzan Johan subsequently called on Ismail to identify who had allegedly coerced him, saying the allegation now concerned the security of the country’s rulers and institutions (FMT, 9 September 2026).

10 September 2026, Thursday: Zahid told reporters at the UMNO General Assembly that Ismail would meet him to explain the background to his statement (Malay Mail, 10 September 2026). The meeting began at about 4pm at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur, with UMNO vice-presidents Johari Ghani, Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and Khaled Nordin present (Malaysiakini, 10 September 2026). Neither side had published an account of the discussion at the time of writing.

The same day, Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz, lawyer for the four signatories, the Tunku Besar of Tampin and the Dato’ Shahbandar of Sungei Ujong, gave the Undang camp’s account of the events of 3 August. He said Ismail attended a dinner at Istana Laguna Biru in Port Dickson hosted by Tunku Nadzaruddin, accompanied by his lawyer, Abu Bakar Isa Ramat. According to Khairul, the chieftains explained the grounds for their 19 April action and the requirement for the Menteri Besar’s signature under Article 10. He said Ismail agreed to sign after hearing their explanation, in his lawyer’s presence and without pressure (FMT, 10 September 2026, Malaysiakini, 10 September 2026).

Khairul described Ismail’s subsequent claim of duress as an afterthought and argued that the Menteri Besar would have to substantiate it. He also confirmed that no other UMNO leader, including Zahid, was present at the dinner (Malaysiakini, 10 September 2026).

This remains the Undang camp’s account of what happened on 3 August. At the time of writing, the Menteri Besar had not publicly responded to Khairul’s account, while the police had made no public statement on his report.

12 Sept 2026, Sat: The Secretary of the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU), Raja Norazli Raja Nordin, issued a notice to the Private Secretary to the Undang of Luak Johol, Muhammed Abdullah, convening a Special Meeting of the DKU at Istana Besar Seri Menanti at 4pm on 13 September, on the command of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar. The notice gave one day’s notice and carried no agenda. A copy of the notice was seen by this publication; its authenticity has not been independently verified, and no outlet had reported it at the time of writing.

13 Sept 2026, Sun: Special Meeting of the DKU at Istana Besar Seri Menanti, convened by the 12 September notice. Whether the sitting took place, who attended, and what it produced had not been reported at the time of writing.

What we are watching for

What comes of the DKU Special Meeting called on 13 September and whether the DKU acknowledges the 28 August proclamation of Azrin Khairi as Undang of Luak Jelebu.
14 September 2026, Monday: Case management by e-review at the Court of Appeal to fix the date for its decision on whether to stay the committal proceedings against Mubarak and five others pending their appeal. The ad interim stay granted on 29 July remains in force until that decision.
28 September 2026, Monday: Case management before the Seremban High Court in the contempt proceedings brought by the DKU and its secretary, who are seeking to have six individuals cited for contempt.
7 October 2026, Wednesday: The parties in WA-25-201-07/2026 return before Judge Norliza Othman for the court to determine whether the judicial review proceedings will remain in Kuala Lumpur or be transferred to Seremban. The pending applications to intervene also stand over to that date.
19 October 2026, Monday: The Court of Appeal’s next scheduled date in the six individuals’ appeal against the High Court’s decision granting leave to commence contempt proceedings.
Whether the police make any statement concerning the Menteri Besar’s report of 8 September.
Whether the Menteri Besar responds to Khairul Azam’s account of 3 August or identifies those he says applied pressure.
Whether the Exco proceeds with the Jawatankuasa Pendamai (Reconciliation Committee), and how its proposed remit sits alongside the advisory role of the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) under Article 16.

Sources:

About Weekly Round-Ups

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Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (31 August - 6 September 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 02:01:45 GMT

What happened last week

31 August 2026, Monday: Tuanku Muhriz presided over the state-level National Day celebration as Yang di-Pertuan Besar, received on arrival by Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim, at an event attended by more than 30,000 attendees (Bernama, 31 August 2026).

4 September 2026, Friday: The UMNO Negeri Sembilan liaison body (BPUNS) held its meeting Bil 2/2026. In a statement dated the following day, it pressed for a Special Committee (Jawatankuasa Khas) to be established to resolve adat matters in the state, in what it described as accordance with proper adat procedure (UMNO Negeri Sembilan media statement, 5 September 2026). This proposal can be read two ways: as a route toward resolving the succession questions through custom, or as a means of moving those questions onto a political body and away from the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU), whose role in advising on questions of Malay custom sits under Article 16.

5 September 2026, Saturday: The Undang Yang Empat¹ camp, together with the Tunku Besar Tampin and the removed Dato’ Shahbandar Sungei Ujong, issued a media statement claiming that Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim signed the proclamation required by Article 10(2) on 3 August 2026. The statement also alleged that the Undang Yang Empat’s¹ agreement to remove Tuanku Muhriz was constitutionally complete on 19 April 2026 and directed the State Secretary and the state administration to comply with the proclamation immediately. The signed proclamation was not published with the statement (Malaysiakini, 6 September 2026).

6 September 2026, Sunday: Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim responded in a media statement. He described the group’s views as “hak mereka” (their right), before reaffirming the taat setia (loyalty) of himself and the State Government to Tuanku Muhriz as Yang di-Pertuan Besar. The statement did not say whether he had signed the 3 August proclamation (Malay Mail, 6 September 2026).

What we are watching for

Ongoing: Whether the alleged 3 August proclamation is produced, and whether the DKU or the state administration responds to the 5 September statement’s instruction to the State Secretary and the state administration to act on the proclamation at once.

On the horizon: Court proceedings resume later in the month:

28 September 2026: Case management before the Seremban High Court in the contempt proceedings, where the DKU and its secretary are seeking to have six individuals cited for contempt.
7 October 2026: Parties in WA-25-201-07/2026 return before Judge Norliza Othman to state whether the judicial review continues in Kuala Lumpur or moves to Seremban. The pending intervention applications stand over to the same date.
19 October 2026: The Court of Appeal’s next date in the six’s appeal against the grant of leave for contempt proceedings.

New posts written by this publication last week

Did the Menteri Besar Sign the Proclamation to Remove Tuanku Muhriz on 3 August?

Footnote:

¹This publication uses the term “Undang Yang Empat” to refer to the four chieftains who signed the 19 April declaration. Mubarak Dohak ceased to hold office as Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong with effect from 13 May 2025, a removal the DKU acknowledged on 17 April 2026. On 31 July 2026 the DKU further acknowledged that Maarof Mat Rashad had been removed as Undang of Luak Jelebu with effect from 31 May 2023, and that the appointment of Abdul Rahim Yasin as Undang of Luak Rembau was never completed. Removal of an Undang is a customary act of the Luak, which the DKU acknowledges under Article 16 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959; under Article 16(3), the DKU’s advice on such questions is final and cannot be challenged in any court.

Sources:

About Weekly Round-Ups

Weekly Round-Ups are published every Monday morning. Each round-up covers what happened the previous week, what we are watching for in the week ahead, and links to posts published that week.

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Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (24–30 August, 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 02:01:04 GMT

What happened last week

24 August 2026, Monday: The Seremban High Court dismissed both of the state government’s applications to evict the occupants of the Balai Undang (the Undang’s official hall) and official residences of Rembau and Sungei Ujong. Judge Roz Mawar Rozain held that “Kerajaan Negeri Sembilan” lacked locus standi (legal standing), since Section 16 of the National Land Code requires such proceedings to be brought by the State Director of Lands and Mines over what is gazetted reserve land. She recorded that the ruling gives neither occupant, Abdul Rahim Yasin at Rembau or the removed Undang of Sungei Ujong, Mubarak Dohak, any right to remain, and does not decide who holds either chieftainship. The applications were dismissed without prejudice, leaving the proper claimant free to refile, with RM25,000 in costs on each suit (Free Malaysia Today, 24 August 2026, The Star, 24 August 2026).

25 August 2026, Tuesday: At the state-level Maulidur Rasul 1448H celebration at Padang Majlis Bandaraya Seremban, the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, Tuanku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir, delivered a titah (royal address) reminding those present to uphold the Rukun Negara (National Principles), and highlighting the Keluhuran Perlembagaan (Supremacy of the Constitution) and the Kedaulatan Undang-Undang (Rule of Law). His Highness said that society should respect the Constitution as the supreme law of the country, and that adherence to religion and respect for adat should be strengthened as foundations of character and civilisation (Berita Harian, 25 August 2026, Utusan Malaysia, 26 August 2026).

28 August 2026, Thursday: Azrin Khairi, a senior general manager at Telekom Malaysia in Pahang, was appointed and proclaimed the 17th Undang of Jelebu at a ceremony at the Telapak Anak Waris Perut Ulu Jelebu, Kuala Klawang. The declaration was made by Ismail Mohd Zin, reported to be acting in the authority of the customary title Dato’ Menteri Sah Mangku Alam Raja Sehari, the office that by Jelebu custom proclaims the Undang. Berita Harian and the New Straits Times describe a formal and customary rite, while Utusan Malaysia reports that a delegation from the Jelebu Luak customary board, led by its secretary Mohd Fadzil Abdul Ghani, arrived to object, contending that the established customary lineage still stands and that the person making the proclamation no longer holds the proclaiming office. The event proceeded without incident (Utusan Malaysia, 29 August 2026, Berita Harian, 29 August 2026, New Straits Times, 29 August 2026).

The proclamation follows the removal of Maarof Mat Rashad as the 16th Undang Luak Jelebu under Luak custom, backdated to 31 May 2023, which the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) acknowledged on 31 July. Next, the DKU must acknowledge the appointment and the state government must formally recognise it, before the installation is official.

What we are watching for

28 September 2026: Case management before the Seremban High Court in the contempt proceedings, where the DKU and its secretary are seeking to have six individuals cited for contempt.

7 October 2026: Parties in WA-25-201-07/2026 return before Judge Norliza Othman to state whether the judicial review continues in Kuala Lumpur or moves to Seremban. The pending intervention applications stand over to the same date.

19 October 2026: The Court of Appeal’s next date in the six’s appeal against the grant of leave for contempt proceedings.

Sources:

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Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (17-23 August, 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 02:00:38 GMT

What happened last week

18 August 2026, Tuesday: The First (Special) Sitting of the 16th Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) convened at Wisma Negeri, Seremban. The assemblymen were formally sworn in, and UMNO’s Datuk Seri Dr Awaludin Said was elected Speaker. Kamarol Ridzuan Mohd Zain, of PAS and the Perikatan Nasional bloc, was elected Deputy Speaker. The State Legislative Assembly now comprises 18 Barisan Nasional, 11 Pakatan Harapan and seven Perikatan Nasional members, with the BN-PN coalition holding two thirds majority (FMT, 18 August 2026, The Star, 18 August 2026).

18 August 2026, Tuesday: At the Seremban High Court, Judge Roz Mawar Rozain heard submissions in the originating summonses filed by the Negeri Sembilan state government seeking eviction orders for the Balai Undang (the official hall of an Undang) and residences of the Undang of Rembau and the Undang of Sungei Ujong, and fixed 24 August 2026 for her decision, to be delivered at 4pm over Zoom. The state government argued that it is the lawful owner of the premises, that the land is gazetted as public reserve under Section 62 of the National Land Code, that eviction notices were served on 29 April and 29 June, and that it had been unable to access the premises for close to 50 days. Counsel also pointed to a Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) notice dated 1 August 2026 as settling the question of the rightful holder of the Undang Luak Rembau title. (The Star, 18 August 2026).

Commentary worth reading

Commentary was sparse this week, with the livelier activity on Facebook and TikTok. Accounts backing the removed Undangs and Tunku Nadzaruddin’s succession claim continue to press their case, questioning the validity of the 31 July DKU sitting and the standing of the current chieftains. This publication treats such posts as social media sentiment: illustrative of one camp’s position, rather than as resolving the constitutional and legal questions that remain in dispute.

What we are watching for

24 August 2026, Monday: Judge Roz Mawar Rozain is scheduled to deliver her decision on the state government’s eviction summonses concerning the Balai Undang and residences of Rembau and Sungei Ujong, at 4pm over Zoom.

28 September 2026: Case management before the Seremban High Court in the contempt proceedings, where the DKU and its secretary are seeking to have six individuals cited for contempt.

7 October 2026, Wednesday: Parties in WA-25-201-07/2026 return before Judge Norliza Othman to state whether the judicial review continues in Kuala Lumpur or moves to Seremban. The pending intervention applications stand over to the same date.

19 October 2026: The Court of Appeal’s next date in the six’s appeal against the grant of leave for contempt proceedings.

New posts written by this publication last week

How Was Tunku Nadzaruddin Presented as the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Besar After 5 June?

Two new posts in the Reference Library were published, where we explain the key Articles in the Negeri Sembilan Constitution1959.

What is Article 35? - Executive Authority of the “Ruler”
What is Article 40? - Advice and the Seven Discretionary Functions of the “Ruler”

With Articles 35 and 40 now added, this completes our current set of explainers on the key provisions of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959 relevant to the present constitutional context. If there is another Article you would like us to cover, send us a DM on X or Substack.

Sources:

About Weekly Round-Ups

Weekly Round-Ups are published every Monday morning. Each round-up covers what happened the previous week, what we are watching for in the week ahead, and links to posts published that week.

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Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (10-16 August, 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:00:43 GMT

What happened last week

10 August 2026, Monday: The ex parte leave application in case WA-25-201-07/2026 came before Judge Norliza Othman at the High Court of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. Rather than deciding leave, the judge asked counsel for the four applicants to take instructions on whether the judicial review should continue in Kuala Lumpur or be transferred to Seremban, where an originating summons filed by the same parties in May has yet to be heard. She cited the risk of two courts reaching conflicting decisions on the same subject matter. All parties are to return on 7 October 2026 with an answer (The Edge Malaysia, 10 August 2026).

The Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) and its secretary, Raja Norazli Raja Nordin, had filed an application on 6 August to be added as third and fourth respondents, arguing they hold a direct interest because Tuanku Muhriz chairs the DKU and any purported removal would affect its governance, membership and functions. They also sought a stay of the leave application pending that intervention.

Muhammad Faris Johari, the Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong, and Hassan Ab Hamid, the Undang of Luak Rembau, filed their own applications to intervene. The court has yet to rule on any of them, and the intervention question also stands over to 7 October (FMT, 10 August 2026).

Counsel for the applicants, Mohd Khairul Azam Aziz, made an oral application for a gag order restraining public discussion of the case. The DKU and the Negeri Sembilan government opposed it on the ground that the proceedings concern a matter of public interest. Senior federal counsel Nurhafizza Azizan, appearing for the Attorney-General, told reporters afterwards that the judge declined it (FMT, 10 August 2026).

Our account of the application itself, built from the court filing, has been updated with the outcome: The 10 August Hearing Over the Negeri Sembilan Throne.

10 August 2026, Monday: Menteri Besar Datuk Ismail Lasim chaired the first weekly Exco meeting of the new administration at Wisma Negeri (Portal Berita RTM, 10 August 2026).

The date of the First (Special) Sitting of the First Session of the 16th Dewan Undangan Negeri was fixed for 18 August 2026. The order of business covers the swearing-in of all Assembly members, the appointment of the Yang Dipertua (Speaker) and his deputy, and the tabling of a supplementary budget (Portal Berita RTM, 10 August 2026, UMNO Online, 10 August 2026).

Commentary worth reading

13 August 2026, Thursday: Apa Lagi Melayu Negeri Sembilan Mahu? Faisal Tehrani argues that the continuing attempt to remove Tuanku Muhriz, including the mandamus proceedings filed on 17 July, should be judged against the principles of Adat Perpatih as well as against constitutional procedure.

He draws on terombo (customary verse) and perbilangan (customary sayings), together with Mohd Rosli Saludin’s Sejarah Adat Perpatih Seri Menanti (2022), to emphasise alur dan patut (proper channel and due course), respect for a just ruler, and the bottom-up character of the Negeri Sembilan system, in which authority runs from the Anak Buah (clan members) through the Buapak (clan headman), Lembaga (tribal chief) and Undang to the Yang di-Pertuan Besar.

The article portrays the mandamus application as the latest stage of a broader campaign against Tuanku Muhriz, and argues that compelling the new Menteri Besar to sign the disputed proclamation would be a top-down intervention inconsistent with that customary order. It welcomes the resolution of the Sungei Ujong and Rembau disputes and suggests that scrutiny should now extend to Jelebu, Johol and potentially Tampin.

The language is openly combative, with repeated references to derhaka (treason against the ruler) and to the Tuk Pincang Panjang Lidah (the crooked elder of the long tongue, whom the tradition identifies as given to falsehood and slander). That phrase names a category rather than a person. Adat Perpatih identifies a type of leader the community is instructed to shun, and Faisal quotes Rosli Saludin's definition of him as a leader inclined to lie, to slander, and to speak of things that are untrue. Faisal argues that the crisis offers an opening to clear such figures from customary office.

Underneath the rhetoric sits a more interesting argument, that the present dispute concerns the internal legitimacy of Adat institutions as much as the legal validity of particular proclamations or court applications.

The characterisations of motive are the author's own and this publication has not independently verified the assertions in the article (FMT, 12 August 2026).

The argument about the standing of adat against the written Constitution has also been covered in our publication:

The Constitution versus Adat Perpatih: The events of 2026 have tested the legitimacy of Adat Perpatih and the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959 against constitutional and political manoeuvre.
The Harder Question: The principles of adat are real. The lived reality is messier. When several Ibu Sokos sanction multiple different Undang, who decides which counts?

What we are watching for

18 August 2026, Tuesday: The First (Special) Sitting of the First Session of the 16th Dewan Undangan Negeri. Members are sworn in, a Speaker and Deputy Speaker are appointed, and a supplementary budget is tabled. FMT reported an understanding that the Speaker would go to Barisan Nasional and the Deputy Speaker to Perikatan Nasional (FMT, 6 August 2026).

28 September 2026: Case management before the Seremban High Court in the contempt proceedings, where the DKU and its secretary are seeking to have six individuals cited for contempt.

19 October 2026: The Court of Appeal’s next date in the six’s appeal against the grant of leave for contempt proceedings.

A note on cadence

Coverage now sits between court dates, with the next fixtures in late September and October. This publication will only send a round-up when the week has produced something material to report.

New posts written by this publication last week

Court Documents

This publication has started a new section of the site. Court Documents holds English translations of the filings in the Negeri Sembilan succession dispute, which are written in Bahasa Melayu. Each document carries its own provenance note stating how the copy was obtained.

Court Documents

The 10 August Hearing Over the Negeri Sembilan Throne (updated with the outcome of the hearing)

Sources:

About Weekly Round-Ups

Weekly Round-Ups are published every Monday morning. Each round-up covers what happened the previous week, what we are watching for in the week ahead, and links to posts published that week.

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Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (3-9 August, 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 02:01:10 GMT

What happened last week

4 August 2026, Tuesday: Datuk Ismail Lasim began his first working day as Menteri Besar (MB) of Negeri Sembilan. He said that the state government was weighing Deputy Exco posts for several portfolios on the reasoning that the governing bloc holds more assemblymen than the Exco can seat. He said the Exco itself would stay at ten members, other than the MB. (Note: This number is the ceiling Article 38(2)(b) sets for Exco members other than the MB. Read Article 38 for a full explanation of the constitutional process for appointing the Executive Council.)

His comments came after Rais Yatim questioned the process behind the appointment and alleged outside interference involving state custom and constitutional matters. Ismail declined to go further, saying only that the appointment had been carried out according to the established procedures.

He added that whether the Negeri Sembilan UMNO chief Jalaluddin took an Exco seat was a matter for Jalaluddin himself. Jalaluddin had earlier said he would not offer himself for an Exco position, choosing to make way for other representatives while leaving the final decision to the MB (Astro Awani, 4 August 2026, The Vibes, 4 August 2026).

5 August 2026, Wednesday: The Johol assemblyman, Datuk Saiful Yazan Sulaiman of Barisan Nasional (BN), rejected speculation circulating on social media that Pakatan Harapan (PH) representatives would be brought into the Exco, saying the claim was untrue and that any such proposal would first have been discussed with BN assemblymen (The Vibes, 5 August 2026).

7 August 2026, Friday: Ten State Assemblymen (ADUNs) took their oaths as members of the State Executive Council before the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, Tuanku Muhriz, at Istana Besar Seri Menanti, completing the BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration, with eight seats to BN and two to PN. Two of the ten served in the previous Exco under Aminuddin Harun while the other eight take up Exco office for the first time (Malaysia Gazette, 7 August 2026).

The full line-up:

Datuk Mohd Faizal Ramli (Linggi, BN, returning): rural development and regional development
Datuk Mustapha Nagoor (Palong, BN, returning): youth and sports development
Datuk Zaifulbahri Idris (Chembong, BN, new): education, higher education and human capital
Datuk Mohd Razi Mohd Ali (Sungai Lui, BN, new): agriculture, food security and cost of living
Datuk Mohd Asna Amin (Lenggeng, BN, new): industry, technology, innovation and digital
Siti Nur Umaira Hasim (Labu, BN, new): women, family and community development - the only woman on the Exco
Siow Kong Choon (Chennah, BN, new): local government development, housing and non-Islamic affairs
Suhaimizan Bizar (Gemencheh, BN, new): health, unity, information, national integration and NGOs
Mohd Fairuz Mohd Isa (Serting, PN, new), the state PAS commissioner: entrepreneurship, human resources, climate change, cooperatives and consumerism
Datuk Razali Abu Samah (Sikamat, PN, new): tourism, arts, culture and heritage

MB Ismail Lasim retained the senior portfolios himself, taking Islamic religious affairs and security, finance, land and natural resources, and investment, infrastructure, utilities, communications and FELDA.

Commentary worth reading

5 August 2026, Wednesday: Turbulent tenure expected for new Negeri Sembilan MB An analysis of the pressures facing the new administration. Akademi Nusantara's Azmi Hassan said that the absence of several UMNO assemblymen from Ismail Lasim's installation as MB, among them the state UMNO chief Jalaluddin, signalled a risk of internal power-grabbing that stemmed from how unexpected the MB appointment was.

Azmi noted that many had not counted Ismail among the frontrunners despite his long experience in government, and that his name had not featured in the discussions over who would be BN's MB designate in any arrangement with PN.

The article also mentions the 2023 Melaka leadership change, in which Ab Rauf Yusoh replaced Sulaiman Ali, as a precedent for how a sitting MB can be displaced over time (FMT, 5 August 2026).

7 August 2026, Friday: Tuanku Muhriz reminds new N. Sembilan exco to reject abuse of power, prioritise people Alongside the warning against granting government tenders and projects to family or friends, Tuanku Muhriz framed the appointments as a duty that carries weight.

He said a government is judged by results the people can genuinely feel, and that good planning matters only when it delivers them. He asked the new line-up to build on the previous administration’s record in drawing quality investment, lifting state revenue and creating jobs, and to keep identifying and correcting weaknesses so the administration stays high in integrity.

He described what the country needs as leaders of strong principle, or “persons of honour”, and closed by praying for the state’s continued peace and prosperity, and for those who govern to be guided toward fair and wise decisions (Malay Mail, 7 August 2026, The Star, 8 August 2026).

#malaysiatribune #n9 #beritasemasa #trendingnewsmalaysia ","username":"Msia_Tribune","name":"Malaysia Tribune","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/1704054944603783168/zmiub2S9_normal.jpg","date":"2026-08-07T05:23:11.000Z","photos":[{"img_url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5fLS!,w_1028,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best,fl_progressive:steep/l_play_button_usfui2,w_88,e_colorize:0/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F__ss-rehost__tw-video-preview-13_2085597506763943937.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/w7BYxMFusi"}],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":0,"retweet_count":0,"like_count":1,"impression_count":41,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":"https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2085597506763943937/vid/avc1/720x1280/mP6lGj7N2IjkENwi.mp4","video_preview_media_key":"13_2085597506763943937","belowTheFold":true}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM">

(See embedded video for Tuanku Muhriz’s 7 August 2026 speech in Malay from the Malaysia Tribune’s X account.)

What we are watching for

Speaker and Deputy Speaker: The first sitting of the 16th Assembly, at which a Speaker is elected. FMT reported an understanding that the Speaker would go to BN and the Deputy Speaker to PN (FMT, 6 August 2026).

10 August 2026, Monday: A judicial review application is listed for hearing at 9.30am before the High Court of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, case number WA-25-201-07/2026, filed on 17 July 2026. The four plaintiffs are Mubarak Dohak and the Undangs of Jelebu, Johol and Rembau; the defendants are the Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan and the Government of Negeri Sembilan. The application asks the court to compel the Menteri Besar to sign a Proclamation document and to declare it valid under Articles 10(1)(b) and 10(2). This publication has independently verified the papers through the Malaysian judiciary's e-filing verification portal. (Read more: The 10 August Hearing Over the Negeri Sembilan Throne)

28 September 2026: Case management before the Seremban High Court in the contempt proceedings, where the DKU and its secretary are seeking to have six individuals cited for contempt.

19 October 2026: The Court of Appeal's next date in the six's appeal against the grant of leave for contempt proceedings.

Summary

On the succession thread, the week brought a run of Facebook posts, including from political activists, social media influencers and lawyers, arguing the case for the removed chieftains, contesting the DKU's 31 July sitting and arguing that it was inquorate and its recognitions invalid.

However, the facts of the week remain the same. The Exco came to mengadap (present themselves before the Ruler) before Tuanku Muhriz at Seri Menanti, with the royal household, and the recognised Undangs of Sungei Ujong and Rembau present.

In a state where the year's central argument has been over who the legitimate Undangs and Ruler are, the new government was installed before Tuanku Muhriz, who lawfully and firmly remains the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan.

Under Adat, the “Undang Yang Empat¹” who made the 19 April removal announcement did not validly constitute that body. And under the Constitution, the purported removal of 19 April carried no legal effect, so the office was never vacated and no successor was installed in his place.

Footnote: ¹ This article uses the term "Undang Yang Empat" to refer to the four chieftains who signed the 19 April declaration. Mubarak Dohak ceased to hold office as Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong with effect from 13 May 2025, a removal the DKU acknowledged on 17 April 2026, two days before the declaration. On 31 July 2026 the DKU further acknowledged that Maarof Mat Rashad had been removed as Undang of Luak Jelebu with effect from 31 May 2023, and that the appointment of Abdul Rahim Yasin as Undang of Luak Rembau was never completed. Removal of an Undang is a customary act of the Luak, which the DKU acknowledges under Article 16 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959; under Article 16(3), the DKU's advice on such questions is final and cannot be challenged in any court.

New posts written by this publication last week

What is Article 30? - Precedence among the Ruling Chiefs, Set by the DKU. This sits in the Reference Library where we explain the key articles of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959 in detail.
Why Is Everyone Posting “Akan Berkati Sekalian Yang Setia, Musuhnya Habis Binasa” from the Negeri Sembilan State Anthem? - “All who are loyal shall be blessed, his enemies utterly destroyed.”
The 10 August Hearing Over the Negeri Sembilan Throne A review of the Kuala Lumpur judicial hearing, built from the court filing itself, on the plaintiffs' bid to compel the Menteri Besar to sign the disputed Proclamation and have it declared valid.

Sources:

About Weekly Round-Ups

Weekly Round-Ups are published every Monday morning. Each round-up covers what happened the previous week, what we are watching for in the week ahead, and links to posts published that week.

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Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (27 July – 2 August 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 02:00:36 GMT

What happened last week

27 July 2026, Mon: The Undangs and state chieftains filed a notice of appeal against the High Court’s 8 July decision to grant leave for committal proceedings, ahead of the hearing scheduled for the next day (The Edge Malaysia, 27 July 2026).

28 July 2026, Tue: The scheduled committal hearing was adjourned after the six individuals filed for an interim stay, to be heard at the Court of Appeal the following day. Separately, the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) and its secretary filed a fresh application for leave to cite the same six individuals for contempt, after earlier attempts to serve the original cause papers proved unsuccessful (FMT, 28 July 2026,The Star, 28 July 2026).

29 July 2026, Wed: The Court of Appeal granted a stay of the committal proceedings pending the outcome of the six individuals’ appeal, and fixed 30 July for case management to set an earliest hearing date (FMT, 29 July 2026).

30 July 2026, Thu: The Court of Appeal set 19 October for case management on the appeal. Separately, the Seremban High Court set 28 September for case management on the DKU’s fresh contempt application.

30 July 2026, Thu: Tuanku Muhriz ordered the revocation of two state honours conferred on former Menteri Besar Rais Yatim, the Darjah Seri Utama Negeri Sembilan (2001) and the Darjah Dato’ Setia Negeri Sembilan (1979), with immediate effect. The Straits Times, reporting the revocation as tied to Rais’s role in the palace crisis, traced that role back to 2022, when it said he encouraged the Undang of Jelebu to style himself “Sultan”, through to 5 June 2026, when Rais proclaimed Tuanku Muhriz’s cousin Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar as Yang di-Pertuan Besar at the Melaka hotel event. The paper also reported that Rais had been acting as legal adviser to the Undangs without disclosing the engagement (The Straits Times, 30 July 2026,FMT, 30 July 2026).

31 July 2026, Fri: The DKU convened a special sitting at Istana Besar Seri Menanti, chaired by Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir and attended by the Undangs of Sungei Ujong and Rembau and the Tunku Besar of Seri Menanti, meeting the quorum required under Article 20 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959. Beforehand, the Datuk-Datuk Lembaga of Luak Jelebu said the sitting was called without proper notice and that the sitting Undang of Jelebu had not been invited (Sinar Harian, 31 July 2026).

1 August 2026, Sat: In an official statement, the DKU said it had received and recorded the Istiadat Menzahirkan Kejadian Undang (installation ceremony) of the new Undangs of Sungei Ujong and Rembau, both held on 27 June 2026, and had received and acknowledged a customary decision by the waris of three Perut in Luak Jelebu to dismiss Maarof Mat Rashad as Undang, effective 31 May 2023, leaving the Jelebu office vacant. The DKU also acknowledged the customary removal of the Dato’ Shahbandar of Sungei Ujong, Badarudin Abdul Khalid, effective 30 July 2026, and said that Mubarak Thahak, the removed Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong, along with Abdul Rahim Yasin and Maarof Mat Rashad, had each, at all material times, ceased to hold or never validly held their respective offices. The DKU further advised that the 19 April declaration was unconstitutional for breaching Article 10 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959, and confirmed Tuanku Muhriz’s position as Yang di-Pertuan Besar (Malaysiakini, 1 August 2026,FMT, 1 August 2026).

1 August 2026, Sat: Negeri Sembilan held its 16th state election. The Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional alliance won 25 of 36 seats, a two-thirds majority, ending Pakatan Harapan’s two-term hold on the state government. Official results, announced shortly after midnight, gave BN 18 seats, PH 11 and PN 7, on a turnout of 72.64%. Outgoing Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun lost his seat of Linggi, and DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke lost Chennah. (Malay Mail, 1 August 2026,The Edge Malaysia, 1 August 2026,FMT, 1 August 2026).

1 August 2026, Sat night: Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi sought an audience with Tuanku Muhriz at Istana Hinggap and presented an official letter with three names for the post of Menteri Besar, all from Barisan. Zahid said the choice rests with the Ruler’s absolute discretion and that the palace would announce its decision in due course (The Star, 2 August 2026,FMT, 2 August 2026).

2 August 2026, Sun: Juasseh assemblyman Datuk Ismail Lasim, the Kuala Pilah Umno chief, was sworn in as the new Menteri Besar of Negeri Sembilan, taking his oath of office before Tuanku Muhriz at Istana Besar Seri Menanti at 11.29am. He takes over from Aminuddin Harun, who led the state for two terms since 2018 (FMT, 2 August 2026,New Straits Times, 2 August 2026).

Commentary worth reading

2 August 2026: In his titah (royal address) at the Istiadat Pelantikan dan Mengangkat Sumpah Menteri Besar (Installation and Oath-Taking Ceremony of the Menteri Besar), Tuanku Muhriz reminded the newly elected Adun to place the state’s and the people’s interests above political or personal interest, warning that any abuse of power, position or trust would tarnish the institution concerned. His Highness also reminded that Negeri Sembilan needs leaders who have high integrity, uphold dignity and hold fast to principles and noble values, and called on the new Menteri Besar and all Adun to respect the Royal Institution and recognise the authority vested in the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (FMT, 2 August 2026).

What we are watching for

7 August 2026, Fri: Ismail Lasim’s stated deadline for finalising the new Executive Council line-up, to be presented to Tuanku Muhriz for consent after consultation with the Barisan Nasional leadership. Speaking at his first press conference as Menteri Besar, he said the exco would remain at 10 members and include Perikatan Nasional assemblymen (The Star, 2 August 2026,FMT, 2 August 2026).
The first sitting of the 16th Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly.
28 September 2026: Seremban High Court case management on the DKU’s fresh contempt application.
19 October 2026: Court of Appeal case management on the six individuals’ appeal against the original leave-for-contempt ruling.

Summary

On the constitutional and customary side, Tuanku Muhriz revoked both state honours held by Rais Yatim, the former Menteri Besar whose interventions have run through every stage of the crisis.

Two days later, the DKU issued a statement on the standing of the Undang offices and the 19 April declaration: the new Undangs of Sungei Ujong and Rembau are recorded as validly installed, the Undang of Jelebu is recorded as vacant, and Mubarak, Abdul Rahim Yasin and Maarof Mat Rashad are recorded as having held no valid office at the time they signed the 19 April declaration, which the DKU has now advised was itself unconstitutional.

On the electoral side, the state went to the polls and elected a new government on 1 August 2026. The choice of Menteri Besar, which under Article 36 and Article 38(2)(a) of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959 turns on the Ruler’s judgment of who commands the Assembly’s confidence, fell on Juasseh assemblyman Ismail Lasim. He was sworn in before Tuanku Muhriz on Sunday afternoon.

An interesting point to note is that Juasseh, the new Menteri Besar's seat, lies within the Tanah Mengandung: outside all four Undang territories. Negeri Sembilan's customary geography divides principally into the Luak Berundang (the Undang-governed Luaks of Sungei Ujong, Rembau, Jelebu and Johol) and the Luak Tanah Mengandung, the territories held directly under the Yang di-Pertuan Besar.

As Juasseh lies within the Tanah Mengandung rather than a Luak Berundang, its customary authority runs through the Penghulu Luak to the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, rather than through an Undang.

In a year when the office of Undang is the contested institution, when two Undangs have just been removed, a third found improperly installed, two successors newly installed, and the Jelebu seat left vacant, and the “Undang Yang Empat”¹ of the 19 April declaration in open conflict with the throne, a head of government owing customary allegiance to no Undang territory removes a whole category of potential awkwardness.

Footnote:

¹This publication uses the term "Undang Yang Empat" to refer to the four chieftains who signed the 19 April declaration. Mubarak Dohak ceased to hold office as Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong with effect from 13 May 2025. On 31 July 2026 the DKU further acknowledged the removal of Maarof Mat Rashad as Undang of Luak Jelebu with effect from 31 May 2023, and acknowledged that the appointment of Abdul Rahim Yasin as Undang of Luak Rembau was never completed. The removals were conducted under the custom of their Luaks and under Article 16(3), DKU acknowledgement on such questions is final and cannot be challenged in any court.

New posts written by this publication last week

Two posts in the Reference Library were published, where we explain the key Articles in the Negeri Sembilan Constitution1959.

What is Article 36? - Appointment of Menteri Besar
What is Article 38? - The Executive Council

Sources:

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Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (20-26 July, 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 02:00:47 GMT

What happened last week

20 July 2026, Monday: Pakatan Harapan launched its state election manifesto. The document, themed “Negeri Sembilan Kekal Harapan” (Negeri Sembilan Stays With Harapan), sets out 10 commitments across the economy, jobs, welfare, education, housing and administration. Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun, who is contesting the Linggi seat, said the manifesto builds on the coalition’s eight years in state office (The Edge Malaysia, 20 July 2026,Malay Mail, 21 July 2026).

23 July 2026, Thursday: The six plaintiffs applied to recuse the presiding judge. A notice of application was filed at the Seremban High Court seeking an order that Justice Roz Mawar Rozain withdraw from the originating summons, from the committal proceedings listed for 28 July, and from any further proceedings in the suit.

According to the filing, the plaintiffs came across two social media posts on or around 15 July, by users identified in the application as “Casper Azrul” and “Che GuBard”, alleging that the judge had appeared in photographs at an event, a Maal Hijrah (Islamic New Year) celebration on 16 June, at which the judge was seated beside the Tunku Ampuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan and at the same table as the wife of the Menteri Besar, the wife of the State Secretary and two state executive councillors, all of whom the application says have close links to the subject matter of the originating summons.

The plaintiffs, led by the Dato’ Shahbandar of Sungei Ujong, Datuk Seri Badarudin Abdul Khalid, who affirmed the supporting affidavit, said they then verified that Filed through Messrs Deidra, Sharina & Co, the application contends there is a “real danger of bias” engaging Sections 5 to 8 of the Judges’ Code of Ethics 2009, and asks that the recusal be heard as a matter of urgency before 28 July (The Edge Malaysia, 24 July 2026).

24 July 2026, Friday: Barisan Nasional offered itself as a mediator in the dispute. Speaking on KiniTV’s “Explain Sikit” podcast, BN Negeri Sembilan chairman Jalaluddin Alias said a mandate to govern the state would let the coalition facilitate a resolution between Yang di-Pertuan Besar Tuanku Muhriz and the Undangs, framing the dispute as a matter of crisis management and urging voters to weigh stability before polling.

He linked the present situation to the leadership of Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun, and cited two precedents in support: the handling of royal immunity during Mahathir Mohamad’s first premiership, and a chieftaincy dispute during Mohamad Hasan’s tenure as Menteri Besar, in which the state government formed a committee of adat (customary law) experts whose findings went to the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) for a final decision.

He contrasted the treatment of the chieftain in that case with the directives issued to vacate in Rembau and Sungei Ujong (Malay Mail, 24 July 2026).

On 18 July, BN deputy chairman Mohamad Hasan had told the coalition’s candidates to keep adat out of the campaign (Free Malaysia Today, 18 July 2026).

24 July 2026, Friday: Barisan Nasional launched its state election manifesto. The launch took place in Linggi and was performed by Mohamad Hasan. Jalaluddin Alias said a Manifesto Implementation Monitoring Unit has been set up to track delivery of each pledge (Utusan Malaysia, 24 July 2026).

24 July 2026, Friday: The Menteri Besar appointment power was drawn into the campaign. UMNO Secretary-General Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, campaigning in Negeri Sembilan, asked who Pakatan Harapan’s Menteri Besar would be if Aminuddin Harun lost the Linggi seat, and named Anthony Loke of DAP. Loke replied that the coalition has one candidate only, Aminuddin, and that the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959 reserves the office for a Malay Muslim member of the assembly (Free Malaysia Today, 24 July 2026). DAP national vice-chairman Syahredzan Johan said the framing pre-empted the appointment, which under the state constitution rests with the Yang di-Pertuan Besar (Harapan Daily, 24 July 2026).

Commentary worth reading

20 July 2026, Monday: Negeri Sembilan State Polls Will Shape National Politics Tricia Yeoh, Visiting Senior Fellow at ISEAS, published an analysis of the state election for Fulcrum.

She writes that the royal dispute will likely be the centrepiece of the campaign, that political alignments are forming along the lines of the dispute, and that eleven seats were won on majorities under 1,000 votes in 2023. She sets out a scenario in which an UMNO-PAS state government could be formed, and notes that this would differ from the federal coalition arrangement (Fulcrum, 20 July 2026).

22 July 2026, Wednesday: Raja Pemerintah N. Sembilan bukan hanya jawatan adat
Utusan Malaysia carried remarks by senior lawyer Mohd Zainuddin Omar, who said that the ruling offices of Negeri Sembilan exist under law and are protected by the Federal Constitution and the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959, rather than being customary titles alone.

His argument is that a custom which has been codified into law is no longer merely a custom, but a valid law under the national legal system, carrying the force of law and enforceable as such. (Utusan Malaysia, 22 July 2026).

26 July 2026, Sunday: Negeri Sembilan has to be defended as if Malaysia is on its last leg: Coalition government can collapse
Phar Kim Beng, professor of Asean Studies at the International Islamic University Malaysia, published an opinion column in Malay Mail arguing that the 1 August election is a test of whether Malaysia can sustain stable coalition politics.

Coalitions put together for electoral convenience, he argues, cannot be relied on to govern well once in office, and durable government rests on agreement over principles, policy and a shared national vision. He casts Negeri Sembilan as a microcosm of the country, reflecting its ethnic, religious, Malay customary and political diversity. The piece is expressly the writer’s personal opinion (Malay Mail, 26 July 2026).

What we are watching for next week

28 July 2026, Tuesday: Two matters are listed before the Seremban High Court.

Contempt of Court: The DKU is pursuing committal proceedings, alleging the six plaintiffs breached a June 5 interim injunction by subsequently attempting to appoint a new Yang di-Pertuan Besar.
Jurisdiction: The DKU and its Secretary are also contesting the High Court’s jurisdiction to hear the case at all, invoking Article 16(3) of the state constitution to argue that matters of Malay custom fall exclusively before the DKU.

The recusal application filed on 23 July now sits across both, so whether it is taken first, and whether any stay is granted, will shape what proceeds on the day.

28 July 2026, Tuesday: Early voting for the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election

1 August 2026, Saturday: Polling day. 103 candidates are contesting 36 seats. Campaigning closes at 11.59pm on 31 July.

Summary

Two of the week’s developments point to different places for this dispute to be settled. The applications before the Seremban High Court treat it as a matter for the court, and they are presently arguing over which judge, on what date, and whether the court may hear it at all.

Article 16 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959 places questions of Malay custom, including the removal of a Ruling Chief, before the DKU, and Article 16(3) makes the DKU’s advice on those questions final and unchallengeable in any court.

The Adat saying goes, alur dan patut (by the proper channel and as is fitting). Every argument made this week, in the court file and on the campaign trail, was an argument about which channel that is.

New posts written by this publication last week

Several Articles in the Reference Library were updated.

Sources:

About Weekly Round-Ups

Weekly Round-Ups are published every Monday morning. Each round-up covers what happened the previous week, what we are watching for in the week ahead, and links to posts published that week.

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Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (13-19 July, 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 02:00:43 GMT

What happened last week

13 July 2026, Mon: DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke told Channel NewsAsia that keeping the royal institution out of the political arena was his party’s first principle, and that the Negeri Sembilan dispute should be resolved within the royal institution under its own customs and laws. Loke is defending the Chennah state seat (Channel NewsAsia, 17 July 2026).

14 July 2026, Tue: Pakatan Harapan announced its full slate of 36 candidates at a ceremony in Kuala Pilah. Prime Minister and Pakatan Harapan chairman Anwar Ibrahim used the occasion to tell all contesting parties to keep the royal institution and the Federal Constitution out of the campaign, saying political competition should proceed without slander or attacks on the institutions the country rests on (Free Malaysia Today, 14 July 2026).

15 July 2026, Wed: Barisan Nasional launched its election machinery at Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi, where chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi unveiled the coalition’s first 25 candidates. Barisan Nasional deputy chairman Mohamad Hasan confirmed he would defend Rantau, the seat he has held since 2004, and that Negeri Sembilan UMNO liaison chairman Jalaluddin Alias would defend Pertang (Malay Mail, 16 July 2026).

15 July 2026, Wed: In the same announcement, Barisan Nasional left 11 of the 36 seats unfilled while it worked towards an electoral understanding with a party its leaders described as a “trusted friend”, with Mohamad Hasan saying the remaining candidates would be named once discussions concluded (Malay Mail, 16 July 2026).

17 July 2026, Fri: Malaysiakini reported that dismissal letters dated 15 July had been served on three members of the Council of Dato’ Lembaga (the customary body of Rembau nobles ranked immediately below the Undang) of Luak Rembau.

The letters, issued over the signature of Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) secretary Raja Norazli Raja Nordin, cited an instruction from Hassan Ab Hamid, installed as 22nd Undang of Luak Rembau on 27 June, confirming the revocation of the hereditary titles of Abdul Razak Yassin, Zaharuddin Idris and Azmi Ahmad.

The revocations are expressed to take effect retrospectively from dates in August 2024, when Abdul Rahim Yasin was the recognised Undang of Rembau, and separate edicts declare actions taken by the three since those dates null and void.

Abdul Razak, who holds the title Dato’ Perba, confirmed receipt and said the three do not accept the decision, on the grounds that Hassan was not appointed by the Council of Dato’ Lembaga, that the DKU and its secretary should not have issued the letters, and that the injunction preserves the position of Abdul Rahim and the other chieftains as it stood (Malaysiakini, 17 July 2026).

17 July 2026, Fri: The Election Commission reported that 464 nomination forms had been sold and 70 prospective candidates had paid their deposits (Free Malaysia Today, 18 July 2026).

18 July 2026, Sat: Nomination day for the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election. Eight centres opened from 9am to 10am. The Election Commission received 103 nomination papers and rejected none, confirming a 103-candidate field across 36 seats. In the outgoing assembly, dissolved on 5 June, Pakatan Harapan held 17 of those seats, Barisan Nasional 14 and Perikatan Nasional five. Pakatan Harapan is fielding 36 candidates and Barisan Nasional 25. Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia entered as a solo contender in 24 seats, two of which are allocated to Parti Bersepakat Hak Rakyat Malaysia contesting under the Bersatu logo. The campaign period runs to 11.59pm on 31 July (The Star, 18 July 2026,The Star, 18 July 2026,Channel NewsAsia, 17 July 2026).

18 July 2026, Sat: State police chief Alzafny Ahmad reported that the nomination process passed without untoward incident, with turnout at each centre ranging from about 1,000 to 2,500 supporters. Jempol recorded the highest turnout and Kuala Pilah the lowest (The Star, 18 July 2026).

19 July 2026, Sun: Speaking at a Barisan Nasional machinery meeting for the Juasseh state seat in Kuala Pilah, Johor Menteri Besar and Johor Barisan Nasional chairman Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the DNA of UMNO and Barisan Nasional had never been marked by penderhakaan (disloyalty to the Ruler), and described allegations that Negeri Sembilan Barisan Nasional leaders were penderhaka (disloyal to the Ruler), following the state's recent political crisis, as fitnah (slander) to be answered with facts.

“UMNO lahir dekat Istana Besar Johor, kita tidak akan derhaka dengan institusi Raja” (UMNO was born near the Johor Grand Palace, and we will not be disloyal to the institution of the Ruler), he said.

He urged candidates and the Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings to explain the issues surrounding the change of the state government and rebut the allegations against the party, citing the 2018 general election as a lesson in the dangers of allowing opponents' narratives to go unanswered. He also pointed to Johor's election result as evidence of what cooperation between UMNO, MCA and MIC could achieve. (Berita Harian, 19 July 2026).

Commentary worth reading

14 July 2026, Tue: “Don’t drag royals into Negeri Sembilan polls, Anwar tells parties” in Free Malaysia Today carries the fuller wording of the Prime Minister’s remarks at Kuala Pilah, including his statement that he has never rejected the legal provisions governing Negeri Sembilan, among them the position of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, the four Undangs and the Tunku Besar of Tampin (Free Malaysia Today, 14 July 2026).

17 July 2026, Fri: “Why Negeri Sembilan’s royal dispute could become a campaign flashpoint in state polls” in Channel NewsAsia is the most comprehensive survey of the week. Universiti Malaya’s Awang Azman Awang Pawi expects contesting coalitions to make use of the royal impasse and sets out how each of the three blocs would position itself.

Set against that, the report records several party leaders playing down the prospect of politicising the standoff at all. Loke gave that answer on 13 July, Pakatan Harapan election director Amirudin Shari said in June that the election should stay distinct from the monarchy dispute, and Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on 29 June that his coalition would stay clear of proceedings involving the royal institution, in his phrase “We must be outside that circle”.

Lawyer GK Ganesan sets out why an election answers a question of confidence in a government rather than a question of title, and constitutional law lecturer Ikmal Hisham Md Tah raises the question of which claimant would appoint a Menteri Besar once polling closes (Channel NewsAsia, 17 July 2026).

One description in the article warrants comment. It states that the state's “four Undangs” proclaimed Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Jaafar as the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Besar on 5 June, and elsewhere refers to the four chieftains in the present tense.

On this publication’s reading, Mubarak Dohak ceased to be Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong on 17 April 2026 after his removal under Luak custom was acknowledged by the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) under Article 16. If so, the 5 June ceremony was attended by three serving Undangs and one removed office-holder.

By the time the article was published, the composition had changed again, with Muhammad Faris Johari installed as the 11th Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong and Hassan Ab Hamid as the 22nd Undang of Luak Rembau on 27 June.

The narrower point is simply that the composition of the “Undang Yang Empat” has been disputed since April and has since changed twice, making an unqualified reference to "the four Undangs" questionable.

For that reason, this publication uses the formulation "Mubarak and the three Undangs", as explained our article There Are Three Undangs. So Why Does Mainstream Media Keep Referring to "Undang Yang Empat"?

18 July 2026, Sat: “After two strikes, Anwar needs a home run in Negeri Sembilan” in The Straits Times is the clearest account of why a state of roughly 900,000 registered voters carries weight out of proportion to its size.

The article sets the contest against Pakatan Harapan’s showing in Sabah last November and in Johor on 11 July, notes that the DAP congress and the PKR and UMNO assemblies all fall within a fortnight of polling day, and reads the seat allocations as a possible rehearsal for a wider realignment among Malay parties before national polls due by early 2028. This article is paywalled but can be read here. (The Straits Times, 18 July 2026).

18 July 2026: “Negeri Sembilan state election: Four high-stakes seats to watch amid a royal tussle” The Straits Times picks out four seats and explains what makes each one worth watching.

Linggi. Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun leaves Sikamat after four terms to contest this Malay-majority UMNO stronghold, which sits inside his Port Dickson parliamentary seat. Three-cornered, against incumbent Mohd Faizal Ramli of UMNO, who took 55.1 per cent in 2023, and Zamri Md Said of Bersatu. Aminuddin puts his own chances at 50-50.
Pertang. Jalaluddin Alias of UMNO defending on 66.5 per cent from 2023, and widely tipped as the next Menteri Besar should Barisan Nasional take a majority, though he declined to confirm it and said the choice rests with Zahid. First non-straight fight in a decade.
Chennah. Anthony Loke in a seat that is 47 per cent Malay, up against John Siow Kong Choon of MCA. He won 61.5 per cent in 2023 with UMNO alongside him and 50.9 per cent in 2018 without. He also puts himself at about 50 per cent.
Lenggeng. Handed to UMNO under the 2023 seat-sharing deal and now contested again. Mohd Asna Amin of UMNO won it by 50.7% (a 3.5 per cent margin), against Zarinna Abu Zarin of Amanah and Zool Amali Hussin of Bersatu (The Straits Times, 18 July 2026).

What we are watching for next week

19 to 31 July 2026: The 14-day campaign period, closing at 11.59pm on 31 July.

The Rembau dismissals: Whether the three affected office-holders pursue the matter through the Luak, through the DKU, or through the courts, and whether further letters follow.

28 July 2026, Tuesday: Two matters are listed before Justice Roz Mawar Rozain at the Seremban High Court. The first is the application testing whether the court has jurisdiction at all, given the terms of Article 16(3). The second is the substantive committal application against six individuals, among them the removed Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong, Mubarak Dohak. The jurisdictional question is the structural question, because if the court concludes it lacks jurisdiction under Article 16(3), that finding would affect how the remaining proceedings can continue

28 July 2026, Tuesday: Early voting, as fixed by the Election Commission.

1 August 2026, Saturday: Polling day across all 36 seats.

Summary

While campaigning formally began with nomination day, developments in Rembau showed that the constitutional dispute continued evolving independently of the election, despite repeated appeals from political leaders to keep the customary laws and monarchy outside campaign politics.

New posts written by this publication last week

The publication’s Reference Library this is a reference library for the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959, where we explain the key articles in detail. It sits alongside our commentary as a plain English guide to the constitutional text at the centre of the current dispute. Each entry explains what an Article does, reproduces the original wording, and links to the pieces where we have written about it. New entries are added as the situation develops.
What is Article 7 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959?
What is Article 10 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959?
What is Article 11 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959?
What is Article 14 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959?
What is Article 15 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959?
What is Article 16 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959?
What is Article 17 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959?
What is Article 22 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959?
What is Article 26 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959?
What is Article 28 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959?

About Weekly Round-Ups

Weekly Round-Ups are published every Monday morning. Each round-up covers what happened the previous week, what we are watching for in the week ahead, and links to posts published that week.

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Sources:

Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (6-12 July, 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 02:00:34 GMT

What happened last week

8 July 2026, Wed: The Seremban High Court granted the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) and its Secretary, Raja Norazli Raja Nordin, leave to begin committal proceedings against six respondents accused of breaching the ad interim (temporary) injunction of 5 June, refused a stay, and fixed 28 July for the substantive hearing.

The judge, Roz Mawar Rozain, ruled that the DKU and its Secretary had established a prima facie case (enough evidence for the matter to go to a full hearing, with no finding of guilt at this stage), refused the plaintiffs' bid to postpone the committal proceedings, and fixed 28 July for the substantive hearing. The Edge reports that four committal applications were filed, two concerning acts before the 5 June injunction and two after, and that the judge allowed only the two that followed the injunction

The order restrains the six from convening or attending any DKU meeting, from suspending or obstructing the Secretary in the functions he holds under the Constitution of Negeri Sembilan 1959, from installing any committee or person to assume those functions, from holding themselves out as acting for the DKU, and from any step that disturbs the position as it stood before 21 May 2026.

The six named are Mubarak Dohak, the removed Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong, together with Maarof Mat Rashid (Jelebu), Muhammed Abdullah (Johol), Abdul Rahim Yasin (Rembau), Tunku Syed Razman Tunku Syed Idrus Al-Qadri, the Tunku Besar of Tampin, and Badarudin Abdul Khalid, the Dato’ Shahbandar of Sungei Ujong. Journalists who applied to follow the online hearing were refused access (Sinar Harian, 8 July 2026,The Edge Malaysia, 8 July 2026).

8 July 2026, Wed: The Rembau District and Land Office posted a red notice giving Abdul Rahim Yasin 24 hours to vacate the Balai Undang Luak Rembau (the official seat of the Undang of Rembau). The notice followed an order to vacate issued on 29 June, after Hassan Ab Hamid was proclaimed the 22nd Undang of Rembau, and after Abdul Rahim’s own 2024 appointment was found to have fallen short of the customary process his Luak requires (The Star, 8 July 2026).

A comparable order still stands unresolved in Sungei Ujong, where the state government directed Mubarak to leave the official residence and Balai Undang Luak Sungei Ujong with immediate effect on 30 April 2026, though he is understood to remain in the residence.

9 July 2026, Thu: Abdul Rahim’s lawyer, Emirul Sarifudin Nor Azmi, maintained that the eviction directive was invalid, that it ran against Adat and the state Constitution, and that it named no legal provision authorising the order, adding that any writ of possession should be sought through the court (Malaysiakini, 9 July 2026).

Commentary worth reading

29 June 2026, Mon: “One election, two crises, three coalitions: The Negeri Sembilan vote that could reshape Malaysian politics” by Soo Wern Jun in Malay Mail maps the 1 August state election through the coalitions contesting it and the constitutional dispute running alongside it (Malay Mail, 29 June 2026).

9 July 2026, Thu: Writing in Malaysiakini, Dr Ikmal Hisham Md Tah answers Faisal Tehrani’s argument that the Yang di-Pertuan Besar alone is Raja, contending instead that Negeri Sembilan rests on a shared sovereignty in which the Undangs hold Raja status within their own Luaks (Malaysiakini, 9 July 2026). The reading runs contrary to this publication’s own, which places the Yang di-Pertuan Besar above all others under Article 7(1), and it is set out here so readers can weigh both.

10 July 2026, Fri: Ikmal Hisham Md Tah and Mohd Khairil Hisham Mohd Ashaari argue that a caretaker state government is bound by convention to routine administration, and that the fresh Undang installations and the Rembau eviction, carried out after the Assembly was dissolved, may exceed those limits and invite an ultra vires (beyond lawful power) challenge (Malaysiakini, 10 July 2026).

11 July 2026, Sat: The Straits Times reports that Barisan Nasional won the Johor state election, taking 48 of the 56 seats, and looks ahead to Negeri Sembilan, where Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan meet again on 1 August. The paper argues that if Barisan Nasional takes Negeri Sembilan with some cooperation from PAS, as happened in Johor, it could point to a wider realignment of Malay-Muslim nationalist parties before the next general election (The Straits Times, 11 July 2026). Worth reading for what one state election suggests about the next.

What we are watching for

18 July 2026, Sat: Nomination day for the Negeri Sembilan state election.

28 July 2026, Tue: The substantive committal hearing, together with the question of the court’s jurisdiction over DKU matters. Both remain sub judice (under judgement) until heard.

1 August 2026, Sat: Polling day for the Negeri Sembilan state election, noted here as a date on the electoral calendar.

Beyond the fixed dates, the open threads are whether the six respondents appeal the leave granted on 8 July, after their counsel said he would take instructions, and how two unresolved eviction standoffs develop: the contested 24-hour notice at the Balai Undang Luak Rembau, where no writ of possession is yet before the court, and the April order against Mubarak in Sungei Ujong, where he is understood to remain in the official residence.

Summary

The week carried the crisis out of declarations and into the machinery of the court.

The court allowed the contempt case go ahead, but only for what the six are accused of doing after the 5 June injunction came into force;
the Rembau notice turned a contested installation into a contest over a building;
a pair of Malaysiakini essays reopened the older question of what an Undang actually is.

Posts Updated This Week

[UPDATED] Who is the Undang of Rembau and was his appointment legitimate? A profile of the Rembau seat, tracing the questions raised over the 2024 installation and the disputed 22nd Undang appointment. Now updated with the DKU letter of 7 July 2025, the Istiadat Mengadap (audience of installation) that never followed it, and the installation of Hassan Ab Hamid on 27 June 2026.

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Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (29 June - 5 July, 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:00:41 GMT

What happened last week

27 June 2026, Sat: A section of the Sungei Ujong waris moved to challenge the installation covered in this publication’s latest post, Who Are the New Undangs of Sungei Ujong and Rembau?

The waris of Klana Perut Hulu and Klana Perut Hilir, together with the Waris di Ayer and Waris di Darat, issued a media statement objecting to the installation of Muhammad Faris Johari as the 11th Undang Luak Sungei Ujong, arguing that it departed from the order set out in the Teromba and that it proceeded without the unanimous agreement of the Dato-Dato Lembaga Adat or the consent of the Ibu-Ibu Soko and the Klana waris that Adat requires.

They also questioned the standing of the officers who proclaimed the appointment, and asked for the installation to be reviewed (Sinar Harian, 27 June 2026).

The objection sits inside the Luak, where Adat locates the choice of an Undang. Competing claims within Sungei Ujong have run since May, when three names were advanced for the same seat, so the fresh challenge extends an argument the Luak has been having with itself for months.

28 June 2026, Sun: The Rembau district customary council has denied that its choice of a new Undang was influenced by the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir.

Speaking to KiniTV, the council said the appointment of Datuk Hassan Ab Hamid as Undang Luak Rembau, in place of Abdul Rahim Yasin, whose standing as chieftain had been in dispute for a lack of formalisation, was a decision of the Luak alone (KiniTV, 28 June 2026).

30 June 2026, Tue: In a notice dated 29 June, and following Hassan Ab Hamid’s proclamation as the 22nd Undang Luak Rembau on 27 June, the office ordered the immediate vacation of the official residence and Balai Undang Luak Rembau.

The seat had fallen vacant on the death of the previous Undang, Datuk Muhamad Sharip Othman, in May 2024, after which Abdul Rahim Yasin was reported in August 2024 to have been appointed the 22nd Undang, an appointment later reported as not complying with customary process (New Straits Times, 30 June 2026).

The step echoes the notice served on 30 April in Sungei Ujong to remove ex-Undang Mubarak Dohak from his official residence.

3 July 2026, Fri: A counter-challenge in Rembau came from a senior matriarch. At a media session on Adat and the rotation of the 22nd Undang Luak Rembau, the Ibu Soko Nan Tua of the Waris Perut Biduanda Sedia Raja Kampung Pulau, YM Rashimah Abu Bakar, petitioned Tuanku Muhriz to review the rotation and to set aside the installation of Hassan Ab Hamid, which she argued fell outside the customary order.

By her account, the Rembau title alternates between two carak, Lela Maharaja and Sedia Raja, and the 22nd turn belonged to Kampung Pulau and its candidate YM Hishamuddin Abu Hassan rather than to Kampung Tanjong.

She held that the choice of a candidate rests with the four Datuk Tiang Balai Baroh, and that several customary steps were left undone, which in her reading made the appointment defective under Adat (Negeri Kita, 3 July 2026).

As the Adat principle she cited has it, “yang dahulu didahulukan, yang kemudian dikemudiankan, yang berhak jangan diketepikan dan yang menunggu jangan dilangkahkan”, those with the earlier right should not be passed over and those still waiting should not be leapt.

Rashimah put her request in constitutional terms, accepting that the Yang di-Pertuan Besar consents to the Luak’s choice rather than making it, which raises the question of how a completed installation could be set aside without the Luak’s own bodies acting first.

Her claims about Kampung Pulau’s turn, and about the standing of the installation, are hers and await any answer from the Rembau Adat leaders who oversaw it.

Commentary worth reading

2 July 2026, Thu: Faisal Tehrani, writing in Free Malaysia Today under the title “Undang bukan raja, raja adalah raja”, (The Undang is not a king; the king is the king), argued that the Undang holds the standing of a keeper of Adat law rather than that of a raja, and that Article 7 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959 places the Yang di-Pertuan Besar above all others in the state.

He traced the title Undang to the 1898 confederation, drawing on A. Samad Idris’s “Payung Terkembang”, M. Rasjid Manggis’s 1970 study, and the historian Norhalim Ibrahim to argue that the agreement of that year lifted the Yang di-Pertuan Besar to the rank held by the other Malay Rulers while the Undang did not carry it.

On the co-ruler question he read the shared role as confined to the seven discretionary functions in Article 40(2), rather than a general co-rulership (Free Malaysia Today, 2 July 2026).

2 July 2026, Thu: The Star reported that a group describing itself as the Secretariat of Loyalty and Support for the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, chaired by Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman Zaharudin, lodged a complaint with the Negeri Sembilan Islamic Affairs Department on 1 July, asking it to act against any preacher who offers the Friday doa for a Ruler other than Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir.

Megat D. Shahriman said the practice, alongside certain road tours, could cause public confusion over the legitimate royal institution, and he characterised it as a challenge to Tuanku Muhriz’s sovereignty and a matter under the 3R framework of race, religion, and royalty (The Star, 2 July 2026).

The complaint answers an episode a fortnight earlier, when on 19 June a mosque in Jelebu read the Friday prayer for Tunku Nadzaruddin as “Yamtuan Besar”, following the chieftains’ directive to mosques in their Luak, a directive the Negeri Sembilan Mufti said fell outside his jurisdiction (Malaysiakini, 19 June 2026, Malaysiakini, 19 June 2026).

The department has yet to say whether it will act. Asking the authorities to police the content of the Friday doa raises separate questions about religious authority and freedom of religious expression, alongside the loyalty argument advanced by the secretariat.

What we are watching for next week

7 July 2026, Tue: A contempt application within the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) proceedings is listed for hearing at the Seremban High Court, with the substantive hearing on jurisdiction and justiciability separately fixed for 28 July (Free Malaysia Today, 5 June 2026).

Summary

Both installations of 27 June drew challenges from inside their own Luak, Sungei Ujong on the reading of the Teromba and Rembau on the order of the rotation, and in Rembau the customary council has already defended its choice as an act of the Luak, free of palace influence, even as a senior Ibu Soko disputes it.

Each argument is pressed in the language of Adat rather than against the throne. The Free Malaysia Today column questioning the standing of the Undang reaches a similar conclusion on one point: authority in Negeri Sembilan begins within the Luak, while the Yang di-Pertuan Besar gives consent to what the Luak has decided.

For all the petitions addressed to Seri Menanti, the argument that now matters sits below the throne rather than above it, in the question of which kerapatan truly speaks for the Luak, and that is something the Yang di-Pertuan Besar can consent to yet cannot decide on the Luak’s behalf.

New posts written by this publication last week

Who Are the New Undangs of Sungei Ujong and Rembau? (29 June 2026): Faris Johari and Hassan Ab Hamid were formally installed at Istana Besar Seri Menanti on 27 June 2026.
Bagaimana seorang Undang Negeri Sembilan dilantik dan dilucutkan? (1 July 2026): this publication’s explainer on how an Undang is appointed and removed under the custom of the Luak was carried in Bahasa Melayu by Free Malaysia Today.
What Happens When a Luak Cannot Agree on Its Undang? (5 July 2026): When two lineages inside a Luak each claim the rightful Undang, does the Yang di-Pertuan Besar decide between them, or does custom answer first?

About Weekly Round-Ups

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Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (22 to 28 June, 2026)

Anak Nogori — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 02:01:10 GMT

What happened last week

This was a significant week, carrying some of the most consequential developments since the crisis began. The dispute moved from words to ceremony. Two of the four Undang seats were settled through the Luak's own process and marked by royal assent at Istana Besar Seri Menanti.

What had been a contest of declarations began to take institutional shape.

23 to 25 June 2026, Tues to Thurs: The Conference of Rulers meeting scheduled for these dates was postponed (Malaysiakini, 23 June 2026,The Star, 23 June 2026,Straits Times, 23 June 2026). The two camps read the deferral differently. Supporters of Tuanku Muhriz treated it as changing nothing in constitutional terms, while supporters of Tunku Nadzaruddin presented it as a sign that questions remained open. The federal government’s recognition of Tuanku Muhriz as Yang di-Pertuan Besar stayed in place through the week.

25 June 2026, Thurs: At Istana Besar Seri Menanti, Tunku Ali Redhauddin ibni Tuanku Muhriz received the Dato’-Dato’ Adat of Luak Rembau, who presented Hassan Ab Hamid and sought consent for the date of the istiadat installing the 22nd Undang of Luak Rembau (Sinar Harian, 25 June 2026).

25 June 2026, Thurs: The selection drew public objection the same day. Adat leaders associated with the rival camp of Rembau said they had no knowledge of the ceremony, and reports described members of the Lembaga maintaining that the 2024 proclamation stands (Malaysiakini, 25 June 2026,Harian Metro, 25 June 2026).

26 June 2026, Fri: At Istana Besar Seri Menanti, Tunku Ali Redhauddin ibni Tuanku Muhriz received the Dato'-Dato' Adat of Luak Sungei Ujong, the waris soko, and their delegation, led by the Waris Negeri of Sungei Ujong, Datuk Sinda Maharaja Razlan Hamid. The Luak conveyed that the selection of the Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong had been carried out according to its adat, and sought a date for the ceremony. Tunku Ali conveyed the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar for the Istiadat Menghadap Menjunjung Duli to be held on the morning of Saturday, 27 June (Malaysiakini, 26 June 2026).

27 June 2026, Sat: Tuanku Muhriz conducted the istiadat installing Muhammad Faris Johari as the 11th Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong and formalising the appointment of Hassan Ab Hamid as the 22nd Undang of Luak Rembau, and used the occasion to call for loyalty (Malay Mail, 27 June 2026,The Star, 27 June 2026).

The Sungei Ujong seat drew its own objection, with heirs of the Klana line disputing Muhammad Faris’s appointment (Sinar Harian, 27 June 2026).

Commentary worth reading

25 June 2026, Thurs: Sinar Harian quoted Dato' Juan Datuk Zulkipli Shamsudin, chairman of the Kerapatan Buapak Lapan Kampung of Waris Biduanda Nan Dua Carak in Luak Rembau, who set out the customary principle directly: under Adat Perpatih an Undang is chosen within his own Luak, and the Yang di-Pertuan Besar receives the Luak's representatives and grants assent rather than initiating, choosing, or appointing. He noted that recent reports portraying Tuanku Muhriz as having started or made the appointment misread both the Adat and the Constitution (Sinar Harian, 25 June 2026).

25 June 2026, Thurs: The Straits Times set out the reporting behind its scoop, “Royal conclave cancelled: the story behind the ST scoop,” tracing how the cancellation came to light and what it signals while the Negeri Sembilan dispute remains in litigation. The Straits Times broke the story. According to its reporting, colleagues in the Malaysian press described authorities working to contain the fallout from the cancellation, itself a rare enough turn to be worth recording, and the paper cited experts and palace observers who regarded calling off the Conference at the last minute as without precedent, noting that even pandemic-era postponements came with notice rather than at the eleventh hour (The Straits Times, 25 June 2026).

Adatperpatih.my: For readers who want to follow the custom in Bahasa Melayu, adatperpatih.my is a clear and well-sourced reference on Adat Perpatih. It sets out the Luak structure and the mechanics of how an Undang is chosen and removed, and it frames the removal of an Undang as a customary act of the Luak that the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) acknowledges, the same reading this publication works from. Like our publication, its stated approach echoes the principles on our own: neutral and sourced, with permanent customary content kept apart from the current-affairs case study, and a standing invitation to readers to flag corrections. We recommend it as a strong Malay-language companion to the explainers here (adatperpatih.my)

What we are watching for next week

7 July 2026, Tues: The Seremban High Court is fixed to hear the application by Mubarak, the removed Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong, and three Undangs, with two others, to set aside the ad interim injunction restraining the DKU from convening. Case management was held before Justice Roz Mawar Rozain on 18 June (Negeri Sembilan royal feud: Undangs apply to set aside DKU injunction (The Edge), 15 June 2026). The matter is before the court, so this publication states the listing as fact and reserves any reading of the merits while proceedings are live.

We are also watching how the two installed Undangs settle against the rival claims now that the istiadat have taken place, and whether any reading attaches to the Conference of Rulers once a fuller account of last week’s postponement emerges.

A bare civic marker, kept apart from the succession question: the Election Commission calendar for the state poll sets nomination day on 18 July, early voting on 28 July, and polling on 1 August. We carry these dates as scheduling facts only and draw no line between the election and the succession dispute.

As the Adat saying has it, berjenjang naik, bertangga turun, one climbs step by step and descends rung by rung. Authority moves through the structure in sequence, and the week’s two ceremonies will be read against whether each step was filled.

Summary

The installations are worth reading carefully, because the line of authority runs the opposite way to how the ceremony can appear. The choice of an Undang belongs to the Luak, which moves through its own customary structure of Buapak, Ibu Soko, and Lembaga to settle on a name. (Read our post on this).

The Yang di-Pertuan Besar receives that choice and grants assent, and the istiadat is the moment that assent is marked. What gives the week its weight is the consequence rather than the source: with two of the four seats now formalised at the Luak level and assented to, the makeup of the body that elects a Yang di-Pertuan Besar shifts, should those appointments be upheld against the rival claims still before the Seremban High Court.

New posts written by this publication last week

How is an Undang of Negeri Sembilan appointed and removed? An evergreen reference explainer on the nine-step process, anchored in the principle that the Yang di-Pertuan Besar receives the Luak’s choice and grants assent.
Why do several Wikipedia pages call the Undangs “Raja”? A look at the framing across four Malay Wikipedia pages and why the “Raja under Article 160(2)” reading misstates the office.
[UPDATED] Who is the Undang of Rembau and was his appointment legitimate? A profile of the Rembau seat, tracing the questions raised over the 2024 installation and the disputed 22nd Undang appointment.

About Weekly Round-Ups

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Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (15-21 June, 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 02:00:27 GMT

What happened last week

15 June 2026, Mon: Mubarak¹, the removed Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong, and the three Undangs, with two others, were reported to have filed an application at the Seremban High Court to set aside the ad interim injunction that restrains the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) from convening, deciding, or taking any measure pending the substantive proceedings. The application was lodged on 12 June, listed for case management before Justice Roz Mawar Rozain on 18 June, and fixed for hearing on 7 July, with the DKU and its secretary Raja Norazli Raja Nordin represented by the firm of Steven Thiru (The Edge, 15 June).

15 June 2026, Mon: The Election Commission’s calendar for the Negeri Sembilan state election sets nomination day on 18 July, early voting on 28 July, and polling on 1 August (Scoop, 15 June).

16 June 2026, Tue: Coverage turned to the Conference of Rulers, set for 23 to 25 June, with the question of who occupies the Negeri Sembilan seat read as a marker of which claimant the rulers’ institution recognises (The Vibes, 16 June).

19 June 2026, Fri: A mosque in Jelebu read prayers for Tunku Nadzaruddin as “Yamtuan Besar” in the Friday sermon, following the chieftains' directive to mosques in their Luak, which the Negeri Sembilan Mufti said fell outside his jurisdiction (Malaysiakini in Malay, 19 June, Malaysiakini in English, 19 June).

19 June 2026, Fri: The Tunku Ampuan Besar, Tuanku Aishah Rohani binti Almarhum Tengku Besar Mahmud, marked her 74th birthday.

Commentary worth reading

16 June 2026, Tue: All eyes on Conference of Rulers and Negeri Sembilan (The Vibes) sets out why the seating at this month’s Conference has become a focal point for the recognition question.

19 June 2026, Fri: N Sembilan chieftains order Friday sermons to pray for Tunku Nadzaruddin. Malaysiakini reported that mosques across the Luak of Sungai Ujong, Jelebu, Johol, and Rembau, and the Tampin territory, had been directed to pray for Tunku Nadzaruddin in the Friday sermon, following a letter dated 9 June from the chieftains and the Tunku Besar of Tampin to the Negeri Sembilan Mufti, Faudzinaim Badaruddin.

The letter invoked Article 181(1) of the Federal Constitution and the signatories' claimed authority as heads of religion in their Luak, while the Mufti confirmed receiving it and said the matter lay outside his department's jurisdiction and sat instead with the Negeri Sembilan Islamic Religious Affairs Department.

“Faudzinaim confirmed that the letter had been sent to his office, but that matter is not within his jurisdiction. The matter is outside the jurisdiction of the mufti’s department. It is under the Negeri Sembilan Islamic Religious Affairs Department,” he told Malaysiakini.”

The Comptroller of the Royal Household, Azizi Ali, has separately stated that the 5 June proclamation is invalid and unrecognised under the constitution, law, and custom of Negeri Sembilan (Malaysiakini in English, 19 June).

At the Masjid Dato' Undang Luak Jelebu a yellow carpet was laid for Tunku Nadzaruddin's arrival and the prayer was read.

Malaysiakini's Malay version of the article placed the styled title “Yamtuan Besar” in inverted commas, as noting that his proclamation as successor to Tuanku Muhriz remains disputed (Malaysiakini in Malay, 19 June).

What we are watching for

23 to 25 June 2026: The Conference of Rulers convenes.

7 July 2026: The hearing of the set-aside application approaches, with the prior question of the court’s jurisdiction and the justiciability of the dispute still to be resolved.

The Election Commission’s calendar for the Negeri Sembilan state election:

18 July: Nomination Day
28 July: Early Voting
1 August: Polling Day
First sitting of the new State Assembly (date to be announced)

Summary

Last week brought the chieftains’ application to set aside the injunction restraining the DKU, now fixed for hearing in July. The record to date has gone against them: the High Court refused their May application for a stay on the removal of the Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong, and on 5 June it granted the injunction sought by the DKU’s secretary to preserve the status quo.

Every interlocutory application brought by the chieftains has so far been unsuccessful, while the substantive questions that will determine the dispute remain unheard.

The Conference of Rulers convenes from 23 to 25 June, while the state election runs separately toward polling on 1 August.

New posts written by this publication last week

Footnote: ¹ Mubarak Dohak ceased to hold office as Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong on 17 April 2026. His removal occurred under the custom of the Luak and was acknowledged by the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) under Article 16 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959. Under Article 16(3), DKU advice on such questions is final and cannot be challenged in any court.

About Weekly Round-Ups

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Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (8–14 June 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 02:00:50 GMT

What happened last week

9 June 2026, Tuesday: The Negeri Sembilan Palace, through its Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Azizi Mohamad Ali, stated that the 5 June ceremony at a hotel in Alor Gajah carried no legal effect, and that by accepting the purported title Tunku Nadzaruddin had relinquished his hereditary office of Tunku Panglima Besar (Scoop, 9 June 2026). Read their press statement here.

On the political track, UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi confirmed that Barisan Nasional would contest the state on its own after Pakatan Harapan announced it would field candidates in all 36 seats (Malay Mail, 9 June 2026).

11 June 2026, Thursday: The Vibes and Malaysiakini reported on a 9 June letter from the Undang of Johol directing the Negeri Sembilan Mufti to instruct mosques to include prayers for Tunku Nadzaruddin as the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Besar in the second Friday khutbah. The directive represented another attempt to give practical effect to the rival 5 June proclamation, this time through the state’s religious institutions. The report also quoted unnamed critics who questioned the legitimacy of the move and warned against drawing mosques into the dispute (The Vibes, 11 June 2026)

11 June 2026, Thursday: Tuanku Muhriz proclaimed his second son, Tunku Zain Al-’Abidin, as the new Tunku Panglima Besar, filling the office left vacant by the events of 9 June (The Star, 11 June 2026).

The proclamation drew a constitutional objection. A lawyer for the Undang of Jelebu, Khairul Azam, contended that conferring the title required prior consultation with the Ruling Chiefs under Article 26 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959 (Malaysiakini, 12 June 2026).

However, constitutional law academic Prof Emeritus Datuk Noor Aziah Mohd Awal took the contrary view, describing the title as a hereditary appointment within the royal household that the Article 26 does not reach (Astro Awani, 13 June 2026).

12 June 2026, Friday: After a special meeting, the Election Commission set the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election, with nomination on 18 July, early voting on 28 July, and polling on 1 August, a fourteen-day campaign, and 889,490 registered voters across 439 polling centres (FMT, 12 June 2026).

Commentary worth reading

7 June 2026, Sunday: Business Today’s primer on the two-part structure of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution, a steady walk through how the written Constitution and Adat Perpatih sit together, useful background for readers coming to the dispute for the first time (Business Today, 7 June 2026).

13 June 2026, Saturday: Astro Awani’s account of the expert view that the proclamation of Tunku Zain is the customary prerogative of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar rather than a conferment governed by Article 26, a useful primer on where the title question sits between the written Constitution and the royal household (Astro Awani, 13 June 2026).

13 June 2026, Saturday: The Star’s combined preview of the Johor and Negeri Sembilan polls, for readers tracking the timetable, the seat arithmetic, and the turnout machinery rather than the succession dispute (The Star, 13 June 2026).

What we are watching for next week

The rival Yang di-Pertuan Besar proclamation: The Palace stated on 9 June that the 5 June ceremony carries no legal effect, yet public material aligned with the proclamation continues to use the royal styles. An Instagram account promoting the Galeri Tuanku Ja’afar in Seremban marked the 14 June birthday of Tunku Mimi Wahida, the wife of Tunku Nadzaruddin, with the style “Tunku Ampuan Besar,” the consort title that accompanies the office of Yang di-Pertuan Besar. A consort becomes Tunku Ampuan Besar only on installation, and that installation follows a recommendation from the Penghulu of the Luak Tanah Mengandung.

Run-up to nomination: Candidate line-ups take shape ahead of nomination on 18 July, with Pakatan Harapan committed to all 36 seats and Barisan Nasional contesting alone. The composition of each slate will be the first concrete signal of how the parties intend to fight a campaign whose backdrop is a contested throne.

On the horizon:

23–25 June 2026, Tuesday to Thursday: The Conference of Rulers convenes, with attention on whether Tuanku Muhriz takes the Negeri Sembilan seat.

7 July 2026, Tuesday: The contempt hearing at the Seremban High Court.

28 July 2026, Tuesday: The hearing on jurisdiction, reaching the Article 16(3) finality provision.

1 August 2026, Saturday: Polling day for the 16th Negeri Sembilan state election.

The contempt and jurisdiction hearings are before the Seremban High Court. This publication has set out its constitutional reading, and it takes no view on the matters the court will decide, including any question of contempt, while they remain live.

Summary

The week drew the two tracks of this crisis a little further apart. The political question moved decisively toward the ballot, with a polling date, a campaign window, and two coalitions preparing to face the voters.

The customary and constitutional question moved in the opposite direction, deeper into the royal household and the courts, as a princely title was withdrawn from one claimant and conferred on another, and a fresh argument opened over which provision, if any, governs that act.

Running beneath both, the rival proclamation held its ground in public, with Tunku Nadzaruddin still styled Yang di-Pertuan Besar and his wife, Tunku Mimi Wahida, greeted this week as Tunku Ampuan Besar.

New posts written by this publication last week

Press Statement: Vacancy of the Hereditary Title of Tunku Panglima Besar, One of the Four Princes, Negeri Sembilan. A palace statement has declared that the 5 June Melaka proclamation is void, and that reaching for the Yang di-Pertuan Besar title cost Tunku Nadzaruddin the Tunku Panglima Besar title.
What Is the Tunku Panglima Besar, and Why Did Tunku Nadzaruddin Lose It to Tunku Zain?. A royal title changed hands on 11 June 2026 in the middle of a succession fight. This article covers what the Tunku Panglima Besar is, who may hold it, and what it means to hold it.
Is Rais Yatim an Independent Expert, or the Undangs’ Appointed Counsel?. A 2 April 2026 letter names Rais Yatim the Undangs’ Penasihat dan Peguam Utama. Can a retained lawyer also be a neutral constitutional expert?
An Anonymous Law Review’s Case Against Tuanku Muhriz Examined. A critical examination of the evidence, assumptions, and constitutional reasoning underlying the paper’s case against Tuanku Muhriz.

About Weekly Round-Ups

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Sources:

Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (1-7 June, 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 02:00:28 GMT

What happened last week

The Yang di-Pertuan Besar, Tuanku Muhriz, consented to dissolve the State Legislative Assembly. The Seremban High Court granted an injunction preserving the status quo of the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU). Rais Yatim and the chieftains attempted to run a DKU session, police cordoned the hall at Tampin, and a proclamation of a rival Yang di-Pertuan Besar was read at a hotel in Melaka, outside the state of Negeri Sembilan.

3 June 2026, Wed: State Secretary affirms the DKU is headed by the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, and no other party can suspend the DKU secretary.

The Negeri Sembilan State Secretary’s Office today said no party other than Yang di-Pertuan Besar Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir has the power to suspend, terminate, replace or appoint the Dewan Keadilan Undang (DKU) secretary (Malay Mail, 3 June 2026).

4 June 2026, Thu: Menteri Besar announces the assembly will be dissolved.

After an audience with Tuanku Muhriz at Istana Besar Seri Menanti, Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun announced at a late-night press conference that His Highness had consented to dissolve the 36-seat State Legislative Assembly with effect from 5 June. The MB said notice would go to the Election Commission to fix nomination and polling dates, and that Pakatan Harapan would contest all 36 seats with the seat allocation among its component parties to follow (Malay Mail, 4 June 2026, The Borneo Post, 5 June 2026).

5 June 2026, Fri: The dispute reaches the courts, the police and an election timetable on a single day.

In the morning, the Seremban High Court granted an ad interim injunction following an application by DKU Secretary Raja Norazli Raja Nordin and the DKU, who were named as the first and second defendants. Justice Roz Mawar Rozain restrained the six plaintiffs, the removed Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong Mubarak Dohak, the Undangs of Jelebu, Johol and Rembau, the Tunku Besar Tampin and the Dato’ Shahbandar, from convening or holding any DKU meeting, including the special sitting set for that day, and from suspending, removing or interfering with the Secretary, pending further proceedings (The Sun, 5 June 2026, Free Malaysia Today, 5 June 2026).

Police then cordoned the Balai Rasmi Tunku Besar Tampin and briefly blocked several Undang and adat figures from entering (Malay Mail, 5 June 2026).

In the afternoon, the group reconvened at a five-star hotel in Alor Gajah, Melaka, where the Undang of Jelebu Maarof Mat Rashad read a proclamation on behalf of the chieftains declaring Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Besar. The Undang of Jelebu, Tunku Besar Tampin and former Menteri Besar Rais Yatim were present, while the remaining chieftains participated by video link. Rais then announced the proclamation to the press (The Star, 5 June 2026).

That evening, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reaffirmed that Putrajaya continues to recognise Tuanku Muhriz as the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan (Malay Mail, 5 June 2026).

5 June 2026, Fri: DKU Secretary signals contempt proceedings.

Raja Norazli said he had reserved the right to begin committal proceedings for contempt of court against the six plaintiffs, on the basis of media reports that some of them, in particular the second plaintiff, the Undang of Jelebu, had taken part in the proclamation after the injunction was granted. He said this would be in addition to contempt proceedings already filed over conduct from the 13 May hearing onwards, and the matter was fixed for hearing on 7 July (Free Malaysia Today, 5 June 2026, The Edge Malaysia, 5 June 2026).

Commentary worth reading

Dr Ikmal Hisham Md Tah, on the injunction and Article 71 (Business Today, 7 June). The law lecturer argues that the injunction granted by the Seremban High Court came at 11.06am, “after the crucial Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) meeting had already concluded” which according to him, took place at 9.52am, so the order could not undo a decision already taken (Business Today, 5 June 2026).

Those two timings appear in his account alone, as no newsroom covering the day has reported a clock time for either the sitting or the order. That morning also saw police cordon the Balai Rasmi Tunku Besar Tampin and turn several chieftains away at the gate, which opened only after the Tunku Besar intervened, so whether a meeting convened and concluded before 9.52am is an open question rather than a settled fact.

Timing aside, the deeper problem is that neither gathering was a lawful one. The morning sitting was called by the chieftains themselves after the Secretary had declined to convene it, which this publication has argued they had no authority to do. Under Articles 19, a valid sitting of the DKU needs to be presided over by the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, and His Highness was absent. Hence, the morning meeting was not a valid DKU sitting.

(Read: Can Negeri Sembilan’s Ruling Chiefs Suspend the DKU Secretary and Convene Their Own Sitting?)

The afternoon proclamation at a hotel in Alor Gajah carries no constitutional effect either, because a Yang di-Pertuan Besar can be elected only when the throne is vacant, and on 5 June the throne was occupied by Tuanku Muhriz. Whichever hour the injunction took effect, it had no lawful decision to undo.

Dr Ikmal also argues that Article 71 of the Federal Constitution obliges the federal government to respect the chieftains’ decision, which this publication disagrees with.

(Read: What the Federal Constitution Says About Negeri Sembilan: Articles 71, 160, 181)

Terence Fernandez, “The case of two Yang di-Pertuan Besar and the precedent Malaysia cannot afford” (Scoop, 6 June). Scoop’s editor in chief calls the proclamation of Tunku Nadzaruddin a “farcical" installation and argues that a Ruler should not be removed merely because he has become an obstacle to the ambitions of others. His larger warning is institutional: the monarchy holds because it rests on legitimacy, tradition, and continuity, so a precedent set against a Yang di-Pertuan Besar today could be turned against another Sultan tomorrow, and would be hard to contain once established (Scoop, 6 June 2026).

What we are watching for next week

On the election timetable. The dissolution notice has gone to the Election Commission, which will fix nomination, early voting and polling dates. Pakatan Harapan has said it will contest all 36 seats and will announce its seat allocation, so the shape of the contest should become clearer within the week (Malay Mail, 4 June 2026).

On the invalid YDPB proclamation. Whether the camp behind the 5 June ceremony takes any further steps in reliance on the proclamation, given the standing High Court order, is the key thing to watch.

7 July 2026, Tue: Contempt hearing. The committal proceedings flagged by Raja Norazli are fixed for hearing. This is about whether the chieftains defied the court's order, which is a separate question from whether the court can hear the wider dispute at all, the issue fixed for 28 July.

28 July 2026, Tue: Seremban High Court jurisdiction hearing. Justice Roz Mawar Rozain is to decide whether Article 16(3), under which DKU advice on the election, succession, removal or vacation of an Undang is final and cannot be questioned in any court, strips the court of jurisdiction to hear Mubarak’s originating summons.

Summary

In a single week, Rais Yatim and chieftains pressed their claim through a proclamation of a rival Yang di-Pertuan Besar, while the state government answered through dissolution, the courts and continued federal recognition of Tuanku Muhriz as the lawful Yang di-Pertuan Besar.

New posts written by this publication last week

Does Article 79 Let the Ruling Chiefs Convene a DKU Sitting on 5 June? - A constitutional scholar says yes. We disagree. The signatories may gather on 5 June. Whether that gathering constitutes a lawful sitting of the Dewan is another matter entirely.
Tuanku Muhriz is still the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan — Much of the press described 5 June as a DKU sitting that installed a new Yang di-Pertuan Besar. On this publication’s reading of the Constitution, Tuanku Muhriz remains the lawful holder of the office.

About Weekly Round-Ups

Weekly Round-Ups are published every Monday morning. Each round-up covers what happened the previous week, what we are watching for in the week ahead, and links to posts published that week.

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Sources:

Anak Nogori Weekly Round-Up (25-31 May, 2026)

Anak Nogori — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 02:01:03 GMT

What happened last week

Last week turned on a single confrontation: the Secretary of the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) declined to convene the special sitting sought for 29 May, and the six signatories responded by gathering in Tampin and declaring the Secretary suspended.

28 May 2026, Thu: The DKU Secretary declines to convene the 29 May sitting.

In a letter dated 26 May addressed to the six signatories, Raja Norazli Raja Nordin said a special sitting could not be held while the dispute is before the courts, that any sitting called unilaterally by the chiefs and the Tunku Besar Tampin would be invalid, and that he and the DKU reserved the right to take legal action over steps that might prejudice the proceedings (The Star, 28 May 2026).

29 May 2026, Fri: Six signatories meet in Tampin, announce a suspension of the DKU Secretary, and move to set a new date for a DKU meeting.

Mubarak and the three serving Undangs, together with the Tunku Besar Tampin and the Dato’ Shahbandar of Sungei Ujong, met at the Balai Rasmi Tunku Besar Tampin and announced that they were suspending Raja Norazli indefinitely as DKU Secretary, that a committee would take over his duties, and that any correspondence he signed in the council’s name after 17 April carried no mandate. In the same statement they described themselves as “pemerintah bersama (Co-Ruler) Negeri Sembilan”, asserted powers equal to those of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, and blamed the Menteri Besar, the State Secretary and the state legal adviser for failing to stay neutral. Read their Joint Media Statement in Behasa Melayu and translated in English here.

Speaking for the group, the Undang of Jelebu, Maarof Mat Rashad, said six of the eight DKU members had agreed, and the six fixed 5 June as the new date for a special sitting at Tampin, inviting the Chief Secretary, the Attorney-General and the Inspector-General of Police to attend as observers (Malaysiakini, 29 May 2026, The Star, 29 May 2026).

This publication has set out, provision by provision, why the announced suspension carries no constitutional effect.

Commentary worth reading

16 May 2026, Sat: Dr Ikmal Hisham Md Tah, a constitutional law lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), writing with Mohd Khairil Hisham Mohd Ashaari, sets out the “Alam Beraja, Luak Berundang” reading of Article 181 of the Federal Constitution, treating the Ruling Chiefs as protected alongside the Malay Rulers (Free Malaysia Today, 16 May 2026).

The difference between this publication’s reading and Dr Ikmal’s centres on whether to prioritise a strict constitutional-textualist reading of the written 1959 Constitution or a historical-customary interpretation grounded in Adat Perpatih and the treaties that preceded it. The two perspectives present a genuine difference of interpretation between the written law and the traditional prerogative.

28 May 2026, Thu: The Star’s report carrying Raja Norazli’s letter is the clearest account this week of why the Secretary treats a unilaterally convened sitting as invalid while the suit is live, and why he frames the matter as one for the courts first (The Star, 28 May 2026).

What we are watching for next week

5 June 2026, Fri: The attempted rescheduled special sitting at Tampin. The six have set 5 June for the sitting the Secretary declined to convene. The questions are whether it proceeds, who attends, and on what footing, given that the Yang di-Pertuan Besar ordinarily convenes and presides over the DKU under Articles 19 and 24, and that the Secretary has called any unilaterally convened sitting invalid.

Ongoing: Any legal action over the unilateral steps. The DKU and the Secretary reserved the right to act over moves they say would prejudice the court proceedings, so whether either side files anything in the days ahead is open.

28 July 2026: Seremban High Court hears the jurisdiction objection. Justice Roz Mawar Rozain will decide whether Article 16(3) strips the court of jurisdiction over Mubarak’s originating summons for the 17 April minutes. The merits are reached only if the court first finds it has jurisdiction.

Summary

The crisis has moved beyond whether the Yang di-Pertuan has been deposed, or whether Mubarak has been removed as an Undang, with multiple contenders assuming appointment of his position. This week it became a dispute about who can lawfully hold the DKU council and remove the DKU secretary.

New posts written by this publication last week

The DKU Secretary Has Not Been Suspended. So Why Is the Press Reporting That He Has? — Article 25 reserves the appointment and removal of the DKU Secretary to the Yang di-Pertuan Besar alone, so a suspension announced by six signatories carries no constitutional effect.
Can Negeri Sembilan’s Ruling Chiefs Suspend the DKU Secretary and Convene Their Own Sitting? — A provision-by-provision reading of the 29 May statement against the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959, examining each claim it makes against Articles 19, 20, 21, 24 and 25.
Joint Media Statement: 29 May 2026 — An English translation of the joint statement issued by the six signatories on 29 May, reproduced with the publication’s standard caveats.
Hari Raya Aidiladha and the Meaning of Duty — A Hari Raya Haji reflection on korban, and on how Adat Perpatih holds rakyat, chiefs and rulers alike to a standard of sacrifice and duty.

About Weekly Round-Ups

Weekly Round-Ups are published every Monday morning. Each round-up covers what happened the previous week, what we are watching for in the week ahead, and links to posts published that week.

How to manage your subscription

When you subscribe to this Substack, you are subscribed to both formats by default: regular posts and Weekly Round-Ups.

To receive only the Weekly Round-Ups:

From any email: scroll to the bottom and click Unsubscribe or Manage subscription. You will see the option to opt out of regular posts while keeping the Weekly Round-Up.
From the website: go to Account Settings on Substack, find Anak Nogori under your subscriptions, and toggle off Posts while leaving Weekly Round-Ups on.

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Sources:

Kedaulatan Negeri Sembilan: Antara Perlembagaan, realiti adat (Free Malaysia Today, 16 May 2026)
Negri royal crisis: DKU cannot convene special meeting as matter before courts, says secretary (The Star, 28 May 2026)
DKU secretary suspended for failing to convene special meeting (New Straits Times, 29 May 2026)
‘Kami amat murka’ - Undang Luak berempat gantung tugas setiausaha DKU (Malaysiakini, 29 May 2026)
Krisis Negeri Sembilan: Enam pembesar adat murka, gantung tugas Setiausaha DKU (Sinar Harian, 29 May 2026)
N Sembilan chieftains suspend council secretary, urge MB to take neutral stance (Malaysiakini, 29 May 2026)
Negri royal crisis: DKU secretary suspended indefinitely, says Undang of Jelebu (The Star, 29 May 2026)
Pembesar Adat Negeri Sembilan bermesyuarat di Balai Rasmi Tunku Besar Tampin (Utusan Malaysia, 29 May 2026)
Anak Nogori is independent commentary on the unfolding constitutional crisis in Negeri Sembilan, where centuries-old Adat Perpatih, royal succession law, and modern political manoeuvring are colliding in ways Malaysia has never seen before. If you find this useful, share it with someone who should be following this, or subscribe to receive the latest articles in your inbox.