Who Is the Undang of Rembau and Was His Appointment Legitimate?
Two years after his proclamation, the legality of the 22nd Undang of Rembau's appointment remains fiercely contested.
Updated 12 July 2026
The legitimacy questions surrounding Datuk Abdul Rahim Yasin's installation as the 22nd Undang Luak Rembau were recently brought into public view by Negeri Kita's reporting of the Ibu Soko Tua's statement on 8 May 2026. The questions themselves, however, predate it by nearly two years.
Who Was Proclaimed as the 22nd Undang of Luak Rembau in 2024?
Abdul Rahim Yasin, then 68, was proclaimed as the 22nd Undang on 22 August 2024, in a ceremony chaired by Datuk Perba Abdul Razak Mohd Yassin at Balai Undang Luak Rembau (Sinar Harian, 22 August 2024).
The proclamation was contested from the outset, and the customary sequence that would complete it, the Menyalang (formal Adat ceremony) at Seri Menanti and the Watikah (royal consent) from the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, did not follow.
On 27 June 2026, Hassan Ab Hamid was installed as the 22nd Undang of Luak Rembau at Istana Besar Seri Menanti, following a selection by the Buapak and Ibu Soko of Luak Rembau on 25 June (FMT, 27 June 2026).
This article sets out the sequence by which the 2024 proclamation came to be made, and the reasons it remained contested for nearly two years before Hassan Ab Hamid’s installation.
How is an Undang of Rembau chosen
Under Adat Perpatih, the Undang Luak Rembau is drawn from the Suku Biduanda Waris Nan Dua Carak, alternating between Biduanda Sedia Raja and Biduanda Lela Maharaja. Eight kampung carry the inherited right to provide the Undang: Tanjong, Pulau, Chengkau, Tengah, Tebat, Bukit, Gadong, and Kota.
The selection passes through a Kerapatan Buapak Delapan Kampung (Adat Perpatih council). The Buapak vote; the kampung that wins majority support becomes the Kampung Benih (that is the kampung from which the next Undang will be drawn).
On 24 June 2024, the Buapak voted: Kampung Tanjong received four votes, Kampung Pulau three votes, and Kampung Chengkau one vote. A second kerapatan reaffirmed the same outcome (Malaysiakini, 30 July 2024).
What happened on 4 July 2024
At a Kerapatan Lembaga at Balai Undang Rembau on 4 July 2024, Datuk Perba Abdul Razak Mohd Yassin, chair of the Jawatankuasa Pemilihan Pesaka Undang Luak Rembau ke-22, set aside the two earlier outcomes and proclaimed Kampung Pulau as the Kampung Benih instead.
On 30 July 2024, the Buapak Kampung Tanjong, Datuk Kaya Maharaja Hassan Ab Hamid, held a press conference at Kelab Golf Perkhidmatan Awam in Kuala Lumpur on behalf of the Gabungan Pemegang Pusaka Adat Perpatih Luak Rembau to object.
He claimed that Datuk Perba had unilaterally set aside the majority decision of two kerapatan, that the new procedural document had been prepared without consulting the Buapak and Ibu Soko Biduanda Waris Nan Dua Carak, and that it did not carry the official seal of the late 21st Undang, with signatures said to be inconsistent. The arrangement of the kampung in the annexes contained errors. The document had not received DKU approval. A formal memorandum was submitted to the DKU and to the Menteri Besar’s office (Sinar Harian, 30 July 2024).
By the account given at the 30 July 2024 press conference, the muafakat in two consecutive kerapatan was for Kampung Tanjong, not Kampung Pulau.
What followed at the Pemasyhuran (proclamation)
On 22 August 2024, Abdul Rahim Yasin was proclaimed the 22nd Undang Luak Rembau at Balai Undang Luak Rembau in a ceremony chaired by Datuk Perba, with the Keris Pesaka handed over by him (Utusan, 22 August 2024).
The Kerjan (customary celebration following a Pemasyhuran) followed at his Taman Rembau Utama residence on 14 September 2024. Speaking to Utusan that day, Datuk Perba described the sequence yet to come: bringing the matter to the DKU for acknowledgement, gazetted by the state, and then the Menyalang (formal Adat ceremony) at Seri Menanti where the Yang di-Pertuan Besar would grant his perkenan (royal consent) (Utusan, 14 September 2024).
That sequence has not been completed. The Menyalang at Seri Menanti did not take place, and without it the Watikah (royal consent) from the Yang di-Pertuan Besar did not follow. Malaysiakini reported recently that Abdul Rahim's appointment as Undang Rembau is alleged not to have been gazetted despite his proclamation nearly two years ago, a claim the publication said it could not independently confirm (Malaysiakini, April 2026).
What happened in court
The Buapak Kampung Tanjong filed a writ of summons at the Seremban High Court against Datuk Perba, seeking a declaration that the 4 July 2024 proclamation of Kampung Pulau as Kampung Benih was unlawful and that the procedural document was of doubtful validity.
On 20 September 2024, Judicial Commissioner Wan Fadhilah Nor Wan Idris struck out the writ, finding that the court had no jurisdiction over Adat and customary ceremonies in Negeri Sembilan. The defendant’s counsel said the matter should be returned to the DKU (Sinar Harian, 20 September 2024).
What did the Ibu Soko Tua of Rembau say on 8 May 2026
On 8 May 2026, the Ibu Soko Tua of Luak Rembau gave a public statement on behalf of the Anak Waris of Perut Biduanda Sedia Raja from Kampung Pulau, Kampung Tengah, Kampung Tanjong, and Kampung Bukit. She said the selection of Abdul Rahim lacked full muafakat from the principal Anak Waris, that the Adat procedures and the Kerapatan Council process were not properly observed, and that Ibu-Ibu Soko and Buapak-Buapak had been dismissed without going through proper Adat procedure (Negeri Kita, 8 May 2026).
The statement was the most senior public Adat-side intervention to date, and it came from the Ibu Soko Tua of the very Luak whose Adat had been contested for nearly two years.
What additional material has surfaced on social media?
This publication has previously observed information disseminating on social media before reaching mainstream media outlets. The Rembau case is no exception.
What follows is drawn from the TikTok account @waghihghombau.expose (“Waghih Ghombau Official”). The allegations are those of the account alone and have not been independently verified by this publication. The broader categories of objection (absence of muafakat, improper Kerapatan process, dismissal of legitimate Buapak and Ibu Soko) are consistent with the 2024 mainstream reporting.
The account has catalogued the following further objections:
His wife is said not to be from a Rembau suku, presented as a stated Adat requirement.
The proclamation said to have been made outside the prescribed heritage site and without the Keris Pesaka being carried as required.
Use of the title YTM Dato Sedia Raja in advance of the Tuanku’s confirmation.
Reliance on the support of Buapak and Ibu Soko said to have been newly installed after the dismissal of the originals.
An eight-month Panel Penyiasatan is said to have been disrupted on 5 March 2026 when three Undang walked out of the session (Waghih Ghombau Official, TikTok, posts dated 24 April to 11 May 2026).
Why does this matter
The 2016 removal of the 14th Undang Luak Johol, Datuk Mohd Jan Abdul Ghani, is the closest constitutional precedent. He was removed by the Adat chiefs of Luak Johol after several rounds of kerapatan that produced a unanimous decision. Thirteen alleged offences were read out at Balai Undang Luak Johol in his presence. The DKU, chaired by Tuanku Muhriz, then acknowledged the removal and granted its restu. The Menteri Besar at the time, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, announced it publicly.
The Johol case illustrates the architecture clearly: the substantive Adat act sits with the institutions of the Luak, the DKU acknowledges, the state gazettes, and the Watikah by which the Yang di-Pertuan Besar formally records the act follows.
The Rembau case sits inside that same architecture and has not yet completed its constitutional circuit. Kampung Tanjong won the majority vote in both kerapatan, but Datuk Perba unilaterally proclaimed Kampung Pulau in its place. Since then, no DKU acknowledgement has issued, the Menyalang at Seri Menanti has not taken place, and the Watikah has not been signed.
What this means for the 19 April declaration
Constitutional experts have agreed that the declaration did not satisfy the conditions of Article 10 (full inquiry, specific grounds, Menteri Besar's signature).
Since Mubarak had been removed, if Abdul Rahim’s status as Undang Rembau remains unresolved, it raises a further question about Article 29.
Article 29 — Exercise of Powers and Duties by Undangs
The powers conferred and duties imposed upon the Undangs under the provisions of this Part shall be deemed to have been duly exercised or performed if such powers were exercised or such duties were performed by at least three Undangs or by as many of them as may be living at the time of the exercise of such powers or the performance of such duties. - Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959
The question that follows is whether the required threshold of at least three validly exercising Undangs was met when the 19 April declaration was made.
What the DKU letter actually says
A tweet on 25 June 2026 surfaced a letter from the Secretary of the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU), dated 7 July 2025 and addressed to the Pejabat Balai Undang Luak Rembau, claiming that the DKU had confirmed the installation.
The letter records that the DKU met on 4 July 2025, chaired by the Yang di-Pertuan Besar and attended by the three other Undangs, the Tunku Besar of Tampin, the Tunku Besar Seri Menanti, and the Shahbandar of Sungei Ujong. Following a notification from the Luak dated 22 August 2024, the DKU agreed to “receive and recognise” the proclamation of Abdul Rahim Yasin as the 22nd Undang of Luak Rembau.
The wording is careful. The letter records the DKU acknowledging a proclamation the Luak had already made, rather than the DKU selecting, electing, or appointing an Undang.
Paragraph 5 of the letter, highlighted in red, is the operative provision. The 22nd Undang could attend official state ceremonies only after completing the audience before the Yang di-Pertuan Besar at Istana Besar Seri Menanti, on a date to be announced.
The customary process within the Luak and the audience before the Yang di-Pertuan Besar are treated as distinct stages. The DKU recognised the Luak’s proclamation at the customary level. Participation in official state ceremonies awaited a later stage, the Menyalang (formal Adat ceremony) at Seri Menanti, at which the Yang di-Pertuan Besar would grant his perkenan (royal consent).
Between 7 July 2025 and 27 June 2026, that Menyalang was never scheduled. The audience Abdul Rahim required to appear at state ceremonies remained outstanding.
Where does the dispute stand now?
The dispute has moved substantially forward.
On 25 June 2026, the Buapak and Ibu Soko of Luak Rembau selected Hassan Ab Hamid, the Buapak Kampung Tanjong whose 2024 objection is recorded above, as the 22nd Undang, with Kampung Tanjong confirmed as the Kampung Benih (Malaysia Gazette, 25 June 2026, Sinar Harian, 25 June 2026). That same day, at Istana Besar Seri Menanti, the Tunku Besar Seri Menanti, Tunku Ali Redhauddin, received the Dato’-Dato’ Adat of Luak Rembau and conveyed the perkenan (royal consent) for the istiadat (ceremony) to proceed on Saturday, 27 June (Malay Mail, 25 June 2026).
On 27 June 2026, Tuanku Muhriz conducted the Istiadat Mengadap (audience of installation) at Seri Menanti, installing Hassan Ab Hamid as the 22nd Undang of Luak Rembau with the title Datuk Sedia Raja. The ceremony was witnessed by the Tunku Ampuan Besar Tuanku Aishah Rohani, Tunku Ali Redhauddin, the Tunku Panglima Besar Tunku Zain Al-’Abidin, and Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun (FMT, 27 June 2026, Scoop, 27 June 2026, Sinar Harian, 27 June 2026). In his address, Tuanku Muhriz described the office as a trust arising from Adat consensus, to be carried with responsibility and sincerity, and called for disputes to be managed through diplomacy and a spirit of muafakat (consensus) (Malay Mail, 27 June 2026).
On 29 June 2026, two days after the ceremony, the Rembau District and Land Office issued an order to Abdul Rahim Yasin to vacate the official residence and the Balai Undang Luak Rembau, mirroring the order issued to Mubarak Dohak on 29 April (New Straits Times, 30 June 2026, Sinar Harian, 30 June 2026, The Star, 30 June 2026).
A camp aligned with Abdul Rahim rejects the Rembau installation, with 17 Adat leaders and Datuk Perba Abdul Razak Mohd Yassin maintaining that the 2024 proclamation stands (Harian Metro, 25 June 2026, Malaysiakini, 25 June 2026). Read against the sequence set out earlier in this article, that position asks the state to treat a Kampung Benih proclamation made against the majority of two kerapatan (Adat council), with no completed Menyalang and no Watikah (royal consent), as good against a subsequent Istiadat conducted by the Yang di-Pertuan Besar in the presence of the Menteri Besar.
The distance between the 2024 proclamation of Abdul Rahim and the 2026 Istiadat Mengadap of Hassan Ab Hamid is the constitutional distance between a claim and an appointment.
Read Next: Who Are the New Undangs of Sungei Ujong and Rembau?
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.
Related Posts:
Sources:
Selesaikan kemelut pemilihan Undang Luak Rembau (Sinar Harian), 30 July 2024
MB, DKU digesa selesaikan kemelut pemilihan Undang Luak Rembau (Malaysiakini), 30 July 2024
Abdul Rahim Yasin dimasyhurkan sebagai Undang Luak Rembau Ke-22 (Utusan), 22 August 2024
Kerjan Undang Luak Rembau Ke-22 berlangsung penuh istiadat (Utusan), 14 September 2024
Mahkamah batal writ saman terhadap Datuk Perba (Sinar Harian), 20 September 2024
When Have Undangs Been Removed Before? (Anak Nogori), 2 May 2026
Waghih Ghombau Official, TikTok posts dated 24 April to 11 May 2026
Ibu Soko Tua dakwa ada kecacatan Adat dalam pemilihan Undang Rembau (Negeri Kita), 8 May 2026
Hassan dipilih sebagai Undang Luak Rembau ke-22 (Malaysia Gazette), 25 June 2026
Istiadat Kejadian Undang Luak Rembau ke-22 Sabtu ini (Sinar Harian), 25 June 2026
‘Kami tidak tahu menahu istiadat itu’: Pemimpin utama Adat Luak Rembau (Harian Metro), 25 June 2026
Khabar pelantikan Undang Rembau baru cetus pertikaian Dato-Dato Lembaga (Malaysiakini), 25 June 2026
Istiadat Menghadap Menjunjung Duli menzahirkan Undang Luak Sungei Ujong (Harian Metro), 26 June 2026
Negeri Sembilan ruler formalises appointment of 22nd undang of Luak Rembau (FMT), 27 June 2026
Pesara guru dizahirkan Undang Luak Rembau ke-22 (Kosmo!), 27 June 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.
