There Are Three Undangs. So Why Does Mainstream Media Keep Referring to "Undang Yang Empat"?
Mubarak Dohak was removed as Undang Luak Sungei Ujong on 17 April 2026 by the DKU who found him guilty of 33 offences.
Since 19 April 2026, Malaysian media and social media have referred, almost without exception, to “Undang Yang Empat” when describing the declaration that sought to remove Tuanku Muhriz ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir as Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan.
The phrase has appeared in Malay Mail, Free Malaysia Today, Sinar Harian, Malaysia Gazette, Harian Metro, Berita Harian, and dozens of social media posts. It has been used in official statements, news headlines, and analytical commentary. It has been repeated so consistently that it has become the default shorthand for discussing the 19 April declaration.
There is one factual problem with this framing: on 19 April 2026, there were not four Undang. There were three.
What Happened Two Days Before
On 17 April 2026, the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU) of Negeri Sembilan convened a special sitting. At that meeting, Datuk Mubarak Dohak, the holder of the Datuk Klana Petra title and the Undang of Luak Sungei Ujong, was removed from his position under Article 14(3) of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959.
The removal followed a process that had begun months earlier. In March 2026, the Waris Luak Sungei Ujong and the relevant Lembaga presented a case for the removal of the previous Undang on grounds relating to violations of both adat and religious law. The state government presented 33 specific charges against him to the DKU at that sitting. Those charges, which ranged from falsifying religious records to obstructing Tok Lembaga from performing their customary duties, are documented in full in our earlier report: What Are the 33 Offences? The Charges That Led to Mubarak’s Removal. The matter was brought before the DKU, which under the state constitution is the proper constitutional body for such proceedings.
Article 16 of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959 is explicit: decisions of the DKU are final. They are not subject to challenge in any court of law. The Luak Sungei Ujong seat fell vacant on 17 April 2026.
As of 17 April 2026 (and backdated to 13 May 2025), Mubarak Dohak of Luak Sungei Ujong has no constitutional standing as an Undang.
Why the Distinction Matters
The Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959, under Articles 10 to 12, sets out the conditions under which the Yang di-Pertuan Besar can be removed. That process requires the participation of the Undang Yang Empat acting in accordance with established adat and constitutional procedure.
If the Luak Sungei Ujong seat was vacant on 19 April 2026 because its holder had been constitutionally removed, then the declaration was not made by four Undangs. It was made by three Undangs and one private citizen who previously held that office.
The powers exercised on 19 April are vested by the constitution in the Undang Yang Empat as an institution. With the Luak Sungei Ujong seat vacant, that institution was incomplete. Three Undangs acting without a fourth do not constitute the Undang Yang Empat. The declaration was therefore made by a body that did not legally exist in its required form on that date. That is not a grey area. It is, indisputably, an unconstitutional act.
Why the Media Is Inaccurate
The consistent use of "Undang Yang Empat" by the press has made an unconstitutional declaration appear constitutional.
When a headline says “Undang Yang Empat declare removal of Tuanku Muhriz,” it implicitly suggests that four legitimate Undangs were present and acted.
Neutral and accurate reporting would instead use a formulation that acknowledges the factual position: four individuals signed the declaration, one of whom had been removed from his position two days prior by a process that is itself contested.
Some outlets have noted the dispute over Mubarak’s status as a complicating factor. The Malay Mail’s explainer published on 20 April noted that “the situation is complicated by questions over Mubarak’s legitimacy as Undang to remove the ruler following his earlier removal.” That was an accurate and important qualification. But in the same piece, the headline and framing still referred to the “Undang Yang Empat” without qualification.
The practical effect of consistently using “Undang Yang Empat” as if there is no dispute about the membership of that group is that it normalises a narrative the constitutional record does not yet support.
A Note on This Publication’s Usage
This publication uses the term “Undang Yang Empat” to refer to the four chieftains who signed the 19 April declaration. However, Mubarak Dohak of Luak Sungei Ujong was removed from his position by the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang on 17 April 2026 under Article 14(3) of the Negeri Sembilan Constitution 1959, two days before the declaration was signed. Under Article 16, DKU decisions are final and unchallengeable in any court. Where we use the term, we note this distinction. We do not accept that using the term resolves the constitutional question of whether the declaration carried the authority of the Undang Yang Empat as a constitutional institution.
On 19 April 2026, there were three sitting Undangs. That is where an accurate account of events must begin.
